Jeffrey D. Larson, MD William S. Tierney, MS Cemile Nurdan Ozturk, MDJames E. Zins, MD
Aesthetic Surgery Journal, Volume 34, Issue 4, 1 May 2014, Pages 499–506
Published: 01 May 2014
Abstract
Background
Cervicoplasty is an important component of aesthetic facial and neck surgery, but the fat content in this area has not been described.
Objectives
The authors identify anatomic compartments of fat in the neck (specifically the areas relevant to surgical management), quantify the fat in each compartment, and describe the relationships between each compartment and the submandibular glands.
Methods
The skin was removed from 10 fresh cadaver heads. Each compartment of fat was weighed, along with the submandibular gland. Supraplatysmal fat was found between the skin and the platysma muscle, and it was compartmentalized into suprahyoid and infrahyoid fat. Subplatysmal fat was found deep to the platysma and between the medial edges of the anterior digastric in the midline; this fat also fell into suprahyoid and infrahyoid compartments. The “very deep” fat was deep to the anterior digastric muscles and submandibular gland, and adherent to the strap muscles.
Results
On average, supraplatysmal fat represented 44.7% of the fat in the neck, the subplatysmal fat represented 30.7%, and the submandibular gland represented 24.5%. The very deep fat was scant, representing less than 1% of the fat in the neck.
Conclusions
This anatomic study provides a comprehensive review of fat in the neck, and the results should serve as an additional guide as surgeons approach this challenging area in surgical rejuvenation.