Anatomy of the Upper Lip and Nose Muscular Bundle Tendon and Its Application During Unilateral Cleft Lip Repair
In brief
A nasal-base tendon was found in every studied unilateral cleft repair
The tendon was seen at the cleft-side nasal ala in all studied cases, with anatomy and tissue examination confirming its presence. In a retrospective review, patients repaired using this muscle-based approach had no significant difference in cleft-side versus noncleft-side alar base position at age 5; whether the technique improves outcomes over other repairs remains unclear.
- Journal
- The Journal of craniofacial surgery (Q2)
- Published
- 12 October 2026
- Study design
- Cross-sectional study
- Evidence level
- Level 3, Low (CEBM 3b)
- Authors
- Percy Rossell-Perry
- PMID
- 42862631
- DOI
- 10.1097/SCS.0000000000013450
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Anatomy (top studies of the week, 18 October 2026): Tendon structure documented in unilateral cleft lip repair
Abstract
BACKGROUND: While several authors have previously described the anatomy of the nasolabial muscles in patients with unilateral cleft lip, some personal intraoperative findings may provide additional information on this topic. The aim of this study is to describe the anatomy and histopathology of the tendon of the upper lip and nose muscle bundle on the cleft side and the role of myrtiform muscles during primary repair of the unilateral cleft lip. METHODS: The anatomy of this structure has been described during primary cleft lip repair, and small pieces of the muscle and tendon of the upper lip muscular bundle were excised and embedded in paraffin for histopathologic study. In addition, a retrospective cross-sectional study was performed to evaluate the utility of this anatomic structure in cleft lip and nose repair. The outcomes were anthropometric measurements of the repaired lip and nose at the age of 5 years. RESULTS: The anatomic descriptions during cleft lip repair and the histopathologic study confirm the existence of this tendon structure in all the studied cases. A well-defined tendon was detected at the base of the nasal ala on the cleft side. There was no statistically significant difference between cleft and noncleft alar base positions on the operated side in patients who underwent the described muscular repair. CONCLUSIONS: A tendon structure has been documented and demonstrated in operated patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate nose deformity; it has not been previously described in the literature. The observed outcomes after primary cleft lip repair using this structure support its utility and underscore the importance of the myrtiform muscles during unilateral cleft lip repair.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.