Temporalis Muscle for Facial Reanimation

Abstract

Although the title of the article by May and Drucker¹highlights the use of the temporalis muscle for reanimation, the article itself, with its case presentation, is a very impressive demonstration of the use of a dual, simultaneous technique including both temporal muscle transfer and free autogenous nerve grafting for this purpose. The authors clarify this titular identification discrepancy in their descriptive text by stating that the temporal muscle is "one component in a comprehensive program to improve facial function...." Their article covers all of the essential aspects of temporal muscle transfer in a clear and practical manner. There are some interesting points that can be emphasized, however. The authors used this muscle primarily for the treatment of complete, long-standing facial paralysis. In approximately a third of cases reported by May and Drucker, they used this technique for the treatment of facial paresis, showing both their imagination in applying