Mylohyoid muscle

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Mylohyoid muscle
Visible right under jaw
Front view of neck. (Mylohyoideus labeled at right, second from top.)
Latin	musculus mylohyoideus
Gray's	subject #112 393
Origin:	Mylohyoid line (mandible)
Insertion:	Median raphé
Artery:	mylohyoid branch of inferior alveolar artery
Nerve:	mylohyoid nerve (from inferior alveolar nerve)
Action:	Raises oral cavity floor, elevates hyoid, depresses mandible
Dorlands/Elsevier	m_22/12549818

The mylohyoid muscle is a muscle running from the mandible to the hyoid bone, forming the floor of the oral cavity.

Contents 1 Structure 2 Innervation 3 Variations 4 Additional images 5 External links

[edit] Structure

The mylohyoid muscle is flat and triangular, and is situated immediately above the anterior belly of the digastric muscle. It forms, with its fellow of the opposite side, a muscular floor for the cavity of the mouth.

It arises from the whole length of the mylohyoid line of the mandible, extending from the symphysis in front to the last molar tooth behind. The posterior fibers pass medialward and slightly downward, to be inserted into the body of the hyoid bone.

The middle and anterior fibers are inserted into a median fibrous raphé extending from the symphysis menti to the hyoid bone, where they joint at an angle with the fibers of the opposite muscle. This median raphé is sometimes absent; the fibers of the two muscles are then continuous.

[edit] Innervation

The mylohyoid muscle, along with the anterior belly of the digastric muscle, is innervated by the mylohyoid nerve, a nerve that ultimately arises from the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve.

[edit] Variations

It may be united to or replaced by the anterior belly of the digastric muscle; accessory slips to other hyoid muscles are frequent.

[edit] Additional images

Mandible. Inner surface. Side view.	Hyoid bone. Anterior surface. Enlarged.	Muscles of the neck. Anterior view.	Superficial dissection of the right side of the neck, showing the carotid and subclavian arteries.
The arteries of the face and scalp.	Distribution of the maxillary and mandibular nerves, and the submaxillary ganglion.	Sagittal section of nose mouth, pharynx, and larynx.

[edit] External links

• LUC myl
• GPnotebook -1456144304
• Dictionary at eMedicine Mylohyoid+muscle
• Roche Lexicon - illustrated navigator, at Elsevier 25420.000-1

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.