Orris

Buccinator muscle easy origin insertion and action

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Here is a clean, easy-to-remember breakdown of the Buccinator muscle, sourced from Gray's Anatomy for Students and Scott-Brown's Otorhinolaryngology:

Buccinator Muscle

Buccinator muscle diagram showing attachments to maxilla, mandible, pterygomandibular raphe, modiolus, and relation to orbicularis oris and superior constrictor

Origin (3 sites - remember "2 bones + 1 raphe")

SiteDetail
MaxillaOuter surface of alveolar process, opposite the molar teeth
MandibleOuter surface of alveolar process, opposite the molar teeth
Pterygomandibular rapheA tendinous band running from the pterygoid hamulus (above) to the mandible (behind last molar, below)
Tip to remember: "Buccinator grabs both jaws at the molars, plus the raphe behind."

Insertion

  • Fibers run forward to blend with the orbicularis oris and insert into the modiolus (a small button-like fibromuscular knot at the corner of the mouth)
  • Key feature - fiber decussation: Central fibers cross at the angle of the mouth - fibers from below go into the upper lip, fibers from above go into the lower lip. The highest and lowest fibers do NOT cross and enter their respective lips directly.

Actions

ActionHow to remember
Compresses cheeks against teethKeeps food between molars during chewing
Aids masticationPrevents food from pocketing in the cheek (assists the tongue)
Expels air from puffed cheeksUsed in whistling, blowing, playing wind instruments
Memory trick: "The trumpeter's muscle" - think of a trumpet player puffing and blowing air. Buccinator = Latin for "trumpeter."

Nerve Supply

  • Motor: Buccal branch of the facial nerve (CN VII)
  • Sensory (skin/mucosa of cheek): Buccal branch of the mandibular nerve (CN V3)

Blood Supply

  • Facial artery and buccal branch of maxillary artery

Bonus Clinical Note

The parotid duct (Stensen's duct) pierces the buccinator opposite the upper 2nd molar tooth to open into the oral cavity. This is a common exam point!
  • Gray's Anatomy for Students, Buccinator section
  • Scott-Brown's Otorhinolaryngology, Buccinator muscle section
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