
The lingual frenulum is recognized as having the potential to limit tongue mobility, which may lead to difficulties with breastfeeding in some infants. There is extensive variation between individuals in the appearance of the lingual frenulum but an ambiguous relationship between frenulum appearance and functional limitation. An increasing number of infants are being diagnosed with ankyloglossia, with growing uncertainty regarding what can be considered “normal” lingual frenulum anatomy. In this study, microdissection of four fresh tissue premature infant cadavers shows that the lingual frenulum is a dynamic, layered structure formed by oral mucosa and the underlying floor of mouth fascia, which is mobilized into a midline fold with tongue elevation and/or retraction. Genioglossus is suspended from the floor of mouth fascia, and in some individuals can be drawn up into the fold of the frenulum. Branches of the lingual nerve are located superficially on the ventral surface of the tongue, immediately beneath the fascia, making them vulnerable to injury during frenotomy procedures. This research challenges the longstanding belief that the lingual frenulum is a midline structure formed by a submucosal “band” or “string” and confirms that the neonatal lingual frenulum structure replicates that recently described in the adult. This article provides an anatomical construct for understanding and describing variability in lingual frenulum morphology and lays the foundation for future research to assess the impact of specific anatomic variants of lingual frenulum morphology on tongue mobility. Clin. Anat. 32:824–835, 2019. © 2019 The Authors. Clinical Anatomy published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Clinical Anatomists.
Health sciences articles SDG-03, Male, SDG-03: Good health and well-being, 570, Lingual Frenum, Lingual frenulum, Floor of mouth, Infant, Newborn, Lingual Nerve, Neonate, Frenotomy, Neonatal, Infant, Extremely Premature, Tongue tie, Cadaver, Humans, Surgery, Female, Fascia, Ankyloglossia
Health sciences articles SDG-03, Male, SDG-03: Good health and well-being, 570, Lingual Frenum, Lingual frenulum, Floor of mouth, Infant, Newborn, Lingual Nerve, Neonate, Frenotomy, Neonatal, Infant, Extremely Premature, Tongue tie, Cadaver, Humans, Surgery, Female, Fascia, Ankyloglossia
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| popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 1% | |
| influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically). | Top 10% | |
| impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network. | Top 10% |
