Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery
The subcutaneous fat compartments in relation to aesthetically important facial folds and rhytides
Section snippets
Materials and methods
Investigated were nine non-fixed cadaver heads in the age range between 72 and 88 years (five females and four males). The cadavers were obtained from the Institute of Anatomy, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and had been donated for anatomical studies.
The specimens were investigated using a radiographic technique, which was previously described.6 Briefly, computed tomographic scans were performed 40 min after injection (1 ml/point) of a radiopaque dye (Lipidiol® Ultra-Fluid Iohexol:
Nasolabial fold
In the region of the nasolabial fold, three layers of distinct fat compartments were identified. The superficial layer includes the nasolabial fat compartment (NL) which is located laterally to the nasolabial crease and forms the nasolabial fold. The nasolabial fat can prolapse over the nasolabial crease. The superior jowl fat lies inferiorly in continuation to the nasolabial fat (Figure 2).
The medium layer is formed by the medial part of the deep medial cheek fat (DMC) (Figure 3) which is
Discussion
The ideal treatment of aesthetically important rhytides including the nasolabial fold, the tear trough deformity, the labiomandibular fold and the mentolabial sulcus is still discussed controversially. Current treatment modalities include volumetric approaches,7, 8, 9 surgical techniques10, 11, 12 or Botulinumtoxin.13 It can be difficult for the practising surgeon to choose the adequate technique for a specific situation. Therefore, the detailed knowledge of the topographical anatomy of the
Conflict of interest
None.
Funding
None.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Willed Body Program at the Institute of Anatomy, University Erlangen-Nuremberg, for their collaboration and support in providing the necessary cadaver specimens to perform this study. The authors declare that they did not make a demand on any writing assistance.
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