Platysma Auricular Ligament

Description

Along the lateral neck, the superficial cervical fascia overlying the platysma is shown extending superiorly toward the auricle, where the platysma auricular ligament forms a fibrous connection to the periauricular soft tissues adjacent to the external ear. Bony landmarks in profile include the zygomatic arch and ramus of the mandible anteriorly, with the mastoid region of the temporal bone posterior to the auricle. Inferiorly, the cervical vertebrae stack in normal lordosis beneath the occiput, framing the ligament’s relationship to the upper cervical soft tissue envelope. Orientation is lateral, with the auricle and temporal region superior and posterior to the mandibular body. That platysma auricular attachment matters because it helps explain how cervical skin movement couples to the ear and parotidomasseteric region, a point that becomes obvious during lower face and neck rejuvenation when skin flaps are raised in the subcutaneous plane. Surgeons working around the parotid tail, great auricular nerve territory, and postauricular sulcus often encounter tethering bands that behave like a ligamentous continuation of the platysma fascia. Small structure, big consequences. Use this artwork in head and neck anatomy teaching to anchor discussions of superficial fascia, platysma function as a depressor of the lower lip and mandibular skin, and surgical planes for rhytidectomy, parotid approaches, or postauricular incision design. It also fits well in ENT and plastic surgery atlases where readers need a clear lateral reference tying the auricular region to the cervical soft tissues against an unambiguous skeletal backdrop. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.