Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part)
Pharynx · Head & Neck
The ceratopharyngeal part is the larger, lower portion of the middle pharyngeal constrictor. It arises from the greater horn of the hyoid bone and radiates backward to insert into the median pharyngeal raphe, blending with its chondropharyngeal counterpart above. Acting with the other constrictors, it reduces the pharyngeal lumen to sweep the food bolus downward during the pharyngeal stage of deglutition. Its motor supply is the vagus nerve (CN X) delivered through the pharyngeal plexus. Between the middle and superior constrictors the stylopharyngeus and glossopharyngeal nerve enter the pharyngeal wall, a useful landmark for the region.
Origin, Insertion, Action & Nerve
Origin
Greater horn of the hyoid bone
Insertion
Median pharyngeal raphe
Action
Constricts the pharynx to propel the bolus during swallowing
Nerve
Vagus nerve (CN X) via the pharyngeal plexus
Attachments explained
The Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part) is defined first by where it attaches. Its origin is the more fixed anchor, usually the proximal or more stable end that stays put during contraction, while its insertion is the more mobile point that is pulled toward the origin when the muscle shortens.
Origin
Greater horn of the hyoid bone
Insertion
Median pharyngeal raphe
Action & function
When the Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part) contracts, it produces the following movement: Constricts the pharynx to propel the bolus during swallowing.
As part of the Pharynx group of the Head & Neck, it works alongside neighbouring muscles to generate smooth, coordinated movement and to stabilise the structures it acts on.
Nerve supply & clinical relevance
The Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part) receives its nerve supply from the Vagus nerve (CN X) via the pharyngeal plexus.
Because a muscle can only contract when its nerve is intact, injury to the Vagus nerve can weaken or paralyse the Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part), impairing the movements it normally produces (constricts the pharynx to propel the bolus during swallowing). This is why knowing the innervation is central to localising nerve lesions in clinical practice.
How to study the Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part) (the OIANS method)
Distinguish the ceratopharyngeal part from its chondropharyngeal partner by the horn of the hyoid it uses: cerato refers to the greater horn, chondro to the lesser. Since both converge on the median raphe and act as one middle constrictor, learning them as a top-and-bottom pair on the two hyoid horns makes the whole muscle easy to reconstruct.
Use the gaps between constrictors as memory pegs. The interval above the middle constrictor transmits stylopharyngeus and the glossopharyngeal nerve, while the interval below transmits the internal laryngeal nerve and superior laryngeal vessels. Anchoring the ceratopharyngeal fibres between these two doorways fixes its position, its bolus-propelling action, and its vagal innervation together.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part) located?
The Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part) is a muscle of the Pharynx group, located in the Head & Neck.
What is the origin of the Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part)?
Greater horn of the hyoid bone
What is the insertion of the Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part)?
Median pharyngeal raphe
What movements does the Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part) produce?
Constricts the pharynx to propel the bolus during swallowing
What nerve supplies the Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part)?
Vagus nerve (CN X) via the pharyngeal plexus
Is the Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part) free to study in OIANS?
The Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part) is always free to browse. Its full origin, insertion, action and nerve details are open to everyone in the Muscle Directory. Quiz and Flashcard practice for the Head & Neck is part of the one-time Lifetime upgrade, though; only the Upper Limb decks are free to test yourself on.
Related muscles
Study the Middle Pharyngeal Constrictor (Ceratopharyngeal Part)
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