Stylohyoid muscle

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Stylohyoid
The triangles of the neck.(Stylohyoid visible at upper right.)
Muscles of the neck. Anterior view. Stylohyoid muscle in purple
Latin musculus stylohyoideus
Gray's subject #112 392
Origin styloid process (temporal)
Insertion    greater cornu of hyoid bone
Artery:
Nerve: facial nerve (CN VII)
Action: Elevate the hyoid during swallowing
Dorlands
/Elsevier
m_22/12550977

The Stylohyoid muscle is a slender muscle, lying in front of, and above the posterior belly of the digastric muscle. It shares this muscle's innervation by the facial nerve.

Contents

[edit] Origin and insertion

It arises from the back and lateral surface of the styloid process of the temporal bone, near the base; and, passing downward and forward, is inserted into the body of the hyoid bone, at its junction with the greater cornu, and just above the Omohyoideus. It thus belongs to the group of suprahyoid muscles.

It is perforated, near its insertion, by the tendon of the Digastricus.

[edit] Variations

It may be absent or doubled, lie beneath the carotid artery, or be inserted into the Omohyoideus, Thyreohyoideus, or Mylohyoideus.

[edit] Additional images

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.