Mylohyoid muscle
Musculus mylohyoideus
- Related terms: Mylohyoid
Definition
Mylohyoid muscle | |
Origin | Mylohyoid line (mandible) |
Insertion | Median raphé, hyoid bone |
Blood supply | Mylohyoid branch of inferior alveolar artery |
Innervation | Mylohyoid nerve, from inferior alveolar branch of mandibular nerve |
Action | Raises oral cavity floor, elevates hyoid, depresses mandible |
The mylohyoid muscle is a flat, triangular suprahyoid muscle that forms the muscular floor of the oral cavity. It supports the tongue, elevates the floor of the mouth during swallowing, and assists in depressing the mandible when the hyoid is fixed.
Anatomical details
1. Origin
Mylohyoid line on the inner surface of the mandible.
2. Insertion
Posterior fibres insert into the body of the hyoid bone.
Anterior fibres meet in the midline at a fibrous raphe (mylohyoid raphe), joining the contralateral muscle.
Innervation
Mylohyoid nerve, a branch of the inferior alveolar nerve (from the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve, CN V3).
Actions
Elevates the hyoid bone, floor of the mouth, and tongue during swallowing and speaking.
Depresses the mandible when the hyoid is fixed.
Relations
Superiorly: Geniohyoid muscle and tongue.
Inferiorly: Anterior belly of digastric muscle.
The submandibular gland wraps around its posterior border, while the sublingual gland lies on its superior surface.
References
Toth J, Lappin SL. Anatomy, Head and Neck, Mylohyoid Muscle. [Updated 2023 Jun 5]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545293/
Gray, H. (2016) Gray’s Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. 41st edn. Edited by S. Standring. New York: Elsevier. Chapter 31: Oral cavity, pp. 509.
