Temporoparietalis

Ear · Head & Neck

Located in the Ear of the Head & Neck, the Temporoparietalis is a key muscle for anatomy study. It arises from Temporal fascia, above the auricularis muscles and attaches to Lateral border of the epicranial aponeurosis (galea aponeurotica). It is responsible for several movements: Tightens the scalp and draws back the skin of the temples; assists in raising the ear. Innervation is provided by the Temporal branch of facial nerve (CN VII).

Origin, Insertion, Action & Nerve

Origin

Temporal fascia, above the auricularis muscles

Insertion

Lateral border of the epicranial aponeurosis (galea aponeurotica)

Action

Tightens the scalp and draws back the skin of the temples; assists in raising the ear

Nerve

Temporal branch of facial nerve (CN VII)

Attachments explained

The Temporoparietalis is defined first by where it attaches. Its origin is the more fixed anchor, usually the proximal or more stable end that stays put during contraction, while its insertion is the more mobile point that is pulled toward the origin when the muscle shortens.

Origin

Temporal fascia, above the auricularis muscles

Insertion

Lateral border of the epicranial aponeurosis (galea aponeurotica)

Action & function

When the Temporoparietalis contracts, it produces the following movements: Tightens the scalp and draws back the skin of the temples; assists in raising the ear.

As part of the Ear group of the Head & Neck, it works alongside neighbouring muscles to generate smooth, coordinated movement and to stabilise the structures it acts on.

Nerve supply & clinical relevance

The Temporoparietalis receives its nerve supply from the Temporal branch of facial nerve (CN VII).

Because a muscle can only contract when its nerve is intact, injury to the Temporal branch of facial nerve can weaken or paralyse the Temporoparietalis, impairing the movements it normally produces (tightens the scalp and draws back the skin of the temples). This is why knowing the innervation is central to localising nerve lesions in clinical practice.

How to study the Temporoparietalis (the OIANS method)

OIANS stands for Origin, Insertion, Action and Nerve, the four facts that uniquely define every skeletal muscle. To learn the Temporoparietalis, work through them in order: picture its origin, trace the muscle to its insertion, reason out the action that shortening between those two points must create, then add the nerve that drives it.

Most students remember the Temporoparietalis fastest by linking its action back to its attachments rather than memorising each fact in isolation. Once the origin and insertion make sense, the action usually follows logically.