Facial rehabilitation with temporal muscle. New concepts.

Facial rehabilitation, utilizing the transposed temporalis muscle, was performed. Three new innovations of this technique include: (1) The whole muscle is transposed into the face to accomplish augmentation, support, protection for the eye, and movement. (2) Following transposition of the temporalis muscle, its nerve supply is lysed at the foramen ovale. Nerve substitution by a free, autogenous graft from the proximal segment of the ipsilateral facial nerve or crossfacial sural nerve is accomplished. This technique substitutes the facial nerve axons and nuclei for the trigeminal nerve in this muscle and thus eliminates movement on mastication and facilitates the possibility for expression. (3) This muscle may be transposed with a portion of the temporal and parietal bones to add bony architecture to the cheek and orbit.