Middle pharyngeal constrictor
Constrictor medius pharyngis
- Latin synonym: Musculus constrictor medius pharyngis; Musculus hyopharyngicus
- Synonym: Middle constrictor muscle of pharynx
- Related terms: Middle constrictor
Definition
Origin: Hyoid bone
Insertion: Pharyngeal raphe
Nerve: Vagus nerve
Action: Swallowing
Description:
The Middle constrictor (Constrictor pharyngis medius) is a fanshaped muscle, smaller than the preceding. It arises from the whole length of the upper border of the greater cornu of the hyoid bone, from the lesser cornu, and from the stylohyoid ligament. The fibers diverge from their origin: the lower ones descend beneath the Constrictor inferior, the middle fibers pass transversely, and the upper fibers ascend and overlap the Constrictor superior. It is inserted into the posterior median fibrous raphé, blending in the middle line with the muscle of the opposite side.
References
This definition incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy (20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, published in 1918 – from http://www.bartleby.com/107/).
