Location and nature of retro-orbicularis oculus fat and suborbicularis oculi fat

The aim of this study is to elucidate the anatomic location and histologic nature of the retro-orbicularis oculus fat (ROOF) and suborbicularis oculi fat (SOOF) around the orbital area. Seventeen hemifaces of 12 Korean adult cadavers were used. ROOF and SOOF were observed in all specimens. ROOF was located in a supraorbital area within a range of between a medial +41 and a lateral -39 degrees to a vertical midpupillary line. The shape is crescent and almost symmetric when folded in half. The horizontal length of ROOF was approximately two thirds of a transverse orbital dimension. The height was approximately one third of a vertical orbital dimension. SOOF was located in the inferolateral side of the orbit within a range between a medial +15 and a lateral -89 degrees to a vertical midpupillary line. The SOOF looks like a hockey stick head. The SOOF is divided into two parts, horizontal and vertical. The length of the SOOF horizontal part is almost equal to a transverse orbital dimension (a). The height of the SOOF vertical part was approximately three fourths (bx3/4) of the vertical orbital dimension (b), and the width of vertical part was one fourth (a/4) of a transverse orbital dimension (a). Most of the SOOF vertical part was outside the lateral orbital rim, and the horizontal part was below the infraorbital rim. Histologically, ROOF and SOOF were situated deep to the orbicularis oculi muscle and superficial to the orbital septum and periosteum. ROOF and SOOF consisted more of fibrofatty tissue than the pure fatty nature of orbital fat. The findings in this study might be conducive to the practice of blepharoplasty and midface lift.