Sternohyoid
Neck · Head & Neck
The sternohyoid is a thin, strap-like infrahyoid muscle that lies superficially on the front of the neck, one on each side of the midline. It arises from the posterior surface of the manubrium of the sternum and the medial end of the clavicle and ascends to insert on the inferior border of the body of the hyoid bone. Its function is to depress the hyoid bone, returning it to its resting position after it has been elevated during swallowing and speech. As one of the strap muscles, it is supplied by the ansa cervicalis, a nerve loop formed from the anterior rami of the first three cervical spinal nerves (C1 to C3).
Origin, Insertion, Action & Nerve
Origin
Posterior surface of the manubrium sterni and medial end of the clavicle
Insertion
Inferior border of the body of the hyoid bone
Action
Depresses the hyoid bone after it has been elevated during swallowing
Nerve
Ansa cervicalis (C1–C3)
Attachments explained
The Sternohyoid 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
Posterior surface of the manubrium sterni and medial end of the clavicle
Insertion
Inferior border of the body of the hyoid bone
Action & function
When the Sternohyoid contracts, it produces the following movement: Depresses the hyoid bone after it has been elevated during swallowing.
As part of the Neck 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 Sternohyoid receives its nerve supply from the Ansa cervicalis (C1–C3). This nerve carries fibres from spinal segment(s) C1, C3.
Because a muscle can only contract when its nerve is intact, injury to the Ansa cervicalis or to its spinal roots (C1, C3) can weaken or paralyse the Sternohyoid, impairing the movements it normally produces (depresses the hyoid bone after it has been elevated during swallowing). This is why knowing the innervation is central to localising nerve lesions in clinical practice.
How to study the Sternohyoid (the OIANS method)
Read the name of the sternohyoid as a map of the muscle: it runs from the sternum below to the hyoid above, a vertical strap on the surface of the neck. Because it pulls downward on the hyoid, its single clear action is depression of that bone after swallowing lifts it. Grouping it with the other long superficial strap, the omohyoid, helps you remember it as one of the depressors that reset the hyoid.
Use the ansa cervicalis to tie the infrahyoid muscles together in your memory. The sternohyoid, along with the sternothyroid and both bellies of the omohyoid, is supplied by this C1 to C3 loop, which sets these strap muscles apart from the hyoid muscles supplied by cranial nerves. Recalling the ansa as the shared source keeps the whole depressor group organised.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Sternohyoid located?
The Sternohyoid is a muscle of the Neck group, located in the Head & Neck.
What is the origin of the Sternohyoid?
Posterior surface of the manubrium sterni and medial end of the clavicle
What is the insertion of the Sternohyoid?
Inferior border of the body of the hyoid bone
What movements does the Sternohyoid produce?
Depresses the hyoid bone after it has been elevated during swallowing
What nerve supplies the Sternohyoid?
Ansa cervicalis (C1–C3)
Is the Sternohyoid free to study in OIANS?
The Sternohyoid 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
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