Stylohyoid
Neck · Head & Neck
The stylohyoid is a slender muscle of the suprahyoid group that descends from the posterior surface of the styloid process of the temporal bone to the body of the hyoid bone, reaching it at the junction with the greater horn. Near its insertion the tendon is characteristically split to allow the intermediate tendon of the digastric to pass through it, a relationship that ties the two muscles together in the floor of the mouth. Functionally the stylohyoid elevates and retracts the hyoid bone, drawing it upward and backward and thereby elongating the floor of the mouth during swallowing. It is innervated by the facial nerve (CN VII), reflecting its developmental origin from the second pharyngeal arch.
Origin, Insertion, Action & Nerve
Origin
Posterior surface of the styloid process of the temporal bone
Insertion
Body of the hyoid bone, at its junction with the greater horn
Action
Elevates and retracts the hyoid bone, elongating the floor of the mouth during swallowing
Nerve
Facial nerve (CN VII)
Attachments explained
The Stylohyoid 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 styloid process of the temporal bone
Insertion
Body of the hyoid bone, at its junction with the greater horn
Action & function
When the Stylohyoid contracts, it produces the following movement: Elevates and retracts the hyoid bone, elongating the floor of the mouth 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 Stylohyoid receives its nerve supply from the Facial nerve (CN VII).
Because a muscle can only contract when its nerve is intact, injury to the Facial nerve can weaken or paralyse the Stylohyoid, impairing the movements it normally produces (elevates and retracts the hyoid bone, elongating the floor of the mouth during swallowing). This is why knowing the innervation is central to localising nerve lesions in clinical practice.
How to study the Stylohyoid (the OIANS method)
Learn the stylohyoid by its two endpoints and the direction between them: it runs from the styloid process high and behind down to the hyoid bone in front and below. Because the muscle pulls the hyoid up and back toward the styloid process, its action of elevating and retracting the hyoid falls out naturally from that line of pull. Picture it lengthening the floor of the mouth as the hyoid is drawn backward at the start of a swallow.
Use the second pharyngeal arch to lock the nerve. The stylohyoid, like the other muscles derived from that arch, is supplied by the facial nerve (CN VII), which distinguishes it from the trigeminal-supplied mylohyoid and anterior digastric belly nearby. Remember also that its tendon is perforated by the digastric, a vivid detail that keeps the muscle and its neighbour paired in memory.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Stylohyoid located?
The Stylohyoid is a muscle of the Neck group, located in the Head & Neck.
What is the origin of the Stylohyoid?
Posterior surface of the styloid process of the temporal bone
What is the insertion of the Stylohyoid?
Body of the hyoid bone, at its junction with the greater horn
What movements does the Stylohyoid produce?
Elevates and retracts the hyoid bone, elongating the floor of the mouth during swallowing
What nerve supplies the Stylohyoid?
Facial nerve (CN VII)
Is the Stylohyoid free to study in OIANS?
The Stylohyoid 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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