procerus muscle (anatomy)
Last reviewed 01/2018
Procerus is one of the muscles of the forehead and nose.
It arises from the fascia overlying the superior surface of the nasal bones and the superior parts of the upper lateral nasal cartilages.. It passes superiorly to insert into the skin of the inferomedial forehead. It is in continuity with the occipitofrontalis muscle.
It is innervated by the temporal branch of the facial nerve (CN VII).
Procerus acts to produce transverse wrinkles in the skin overlying the nasal radix. Also, it acts to depress the brow and by fixing the upper part of the nose, may indirectly assist with nasal flaring.
It is targeted in the anti-wrinkle treatment of injected botulinum toxin for cosmetic purposes.