The muscle bow traction method for long standing facial paralysis

The neurovascular free muscle transfer is generally accepted as the best way to obtain good results in patients with facial paralysis, however, another method may be required in elderly patients or patients with poor prognoses. The muscle bow traction method was developed for dynamic facial reanimation utilizing the masseter muscle and a fascia sling. The principle behind this method is that the sling around the muscle pulls the oral commissure laterally and backward by the restitutive force of the muscle from its relaxed position to its contracted position. This method was used to treat eight patients with long standing facial palsy. The restored motion of the oral commissure ranged from 3 mm to 10 mm when clenching the jaws. The advantage of this method is that it is less invasive to the muscle and is a simpler procedure than other conventional muscle transposition methods. We believe that the muscle bow traction method is good alternative for elderly and advanced cancer patients with facial palsy.