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Muscles attaching to the hyoid bone
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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There are muscles located above the hyoid bone - the suprahyoid muscles (mm. suprahyoidei), and muscles located below the hyoid bone - the infrahyoid muscles (mm.infrahyoidei). Both groups of muscles (paired) act on the hyoid bone, which is a support for the muscles involved in important functions: chewing, swallowing, speech, etc. The hyoid bone is held in its position exclusively by the interaction of muscles that approach it from different sides.
The suprahyoid muscles connect the hyoid bone to the lower jaw, base of the skull, tongue and pharynx: these are the digastric, stylohyoid, mylohyoid and geniohyoid muscles. The infrahyoid muscles approach the hyoid bone from below, originating on the scapula, sternum and cartilages of the larynx. This group includes the scapulohyoid, sternohyoid, sternothyroid and thyrohyoid muscles.
[ Suprahyoid muscles
The digastric muscle (m.digastricus) has posterior and anterior bellies, which are connected to each other by intermediate tendons. The posterior belly (venter posterior) begins on the mammillary notch of the temporal bone, goes forward and downward, directly adjacent to the posterior surface of the stylohyoid muscle, where it passes into the intermediate tendon. This tendon penetrates the stylohyoid muscle and is attached to the body and greater horn of the hyoid bone by means of a dense fascial loop. After leaving this loop, the intermediate tendon of the muscle continues into the anterior belly (venter anterior), which passes forward and upward and is attached to the digastric fossa of the mandible. The posterior and anterior bellies of the digastric muscle limit the submandibular triangle from below.
Function: When the lower jaw is strengthened, the posterior belly pulls the hyoid bone upward, backward, and to its side. When contracting bilaterally, the posterior belly of the right and left muscles pulls the bone backward and upward. When the hyoid bone is strengthened, the lower jaw is lowered by contracting the anterior belly of the digastric muscles.
Innervation: posterior belly - digastric branch of the facial nerve (VII); anterior belly - mylohyoid nerve (branch of the inferior alveolar nerve).
Blood supply: anterior belly - mental artery, posterior belly - occipital and posterior auricular arteries.
The stylohyoid muscle (m.stylohyoideus) is fusiform, originates on the styloid process of the temporal bone, passes downwards and forwards, and is attached to the body of the hyoid bone. Near the place of its attachment to the body of the hyoid bone at the base of the greater horn, the tendon splits and embraces the intermediate tendon of the digastric muscle.
Function: Pulls the hyoid bone upward, backward, and to its side. When the muscles on both sides contract, the hyoid bone moves backward and upward.
Innervation: facial nerve (VII).
Blood supply: occipital and facial arteries.
The mylohyoid muscle (m.mylohyoideus) is wide, flat, and originates on the inner surface of the lower jaw, on the mylohyoid line. In the anterior 1/3 of the muscle, the bundles of the right and left halves are located transversely. These bundles pass towards each other and grow together along the midline, forming a tendinous suture. The bundles of the posterior third of the muscle are directed towards the hyoid bone and are attached to the anterior surface of its body. Situated between both halves of the lower jaw in front and the hyoid bone behind, the mylohyoid muscle forms the muscular basis of the floor (diaphragm) of the oral cavity. From above, from the side of the oral cavity, the mylohyoid muscle is adjacent to the geniohyoid muscle and the sublingual salivary gland, and from below - the submandibular salivary gland and the anterior belly of the digastric muscle.
Function: when the lower jaw is raised (when the jaws are closed), the mylohyoid muscle raises the hyoid bone together with the larynx; when the hyoid bone is strengthened, it lowers the lower jaw (the act of chewing, swallowing, speech).
Innervation: mylohyoid nerve (branch of the inferior alveolar nerve).
Blood supply: submental artery.
The geniohyoid muscle (m.geniohyoideus) is located lateral to the midline on the upper surface of the mylohyoid muscle. It begins on the mental spine and is attached to the body of the hyoid bone.
Function: when the hyoid bone is strengthened, it lowers the lower jaw; when the jaws are closed, it raises the hyoid bone together with the larynx (the act of chewing, swallowing, speech).
Innervation: hypoglossal nerve (XII), muscular branches of the cervical plexus (CI-CII).
Blood supply: sublingual and mental arteries.
The muscles of the tongue and pharynx (genioglossus, hyoglossus, styloglossus, stylopharyngeus muscles) are also closely related anatomically and functionally to the suprahyoid muscles.
Infrahyoid muscles
The omohyoid muscle (m.omohyoideus) originates on the upper edge of the scapula in the area of its notch and is attached to the hyoid bone. This muscle has two bellies - lower and upper, which are separated by the intermediate tendon. The lower belly (venter inferior) originates on the upper edge of the scapula medially from its notch and on the upper transverse ligament. Rising obliquely upward and forward, this belly crosses the scalene muscles from the lateral side and from the front and passes into the intermediate tendon (under the posterior edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle). This tendon continues into the upper belly (venter superior), which is attached to the lower edge of the body of the hyoid bone.
Function: When the hyoid bone is strengthened, the omohyoid muscles of both sides stretch the pretracheal (middle) plate of the cervical fascia, thereby preventing compression of the deep veins of the neck. This function of the muscle is especially important during the inhalation phase, since at this moment the pressure in the chest cavity decreases and the outflow of blood from the veins of the neck to the large veins of the chest cavity increases. When the scapula is strengthened, the omohyoid muscles pull the hyoid bone backwards and downwards. If the muscle on one side contracts, the hyoid bone moves downwards and backwards to the corresponding side.
Innervation: cervical loop (CII-CIII).
Blood supply: inferior thyroid artery and transverse cervical artery.
The sternohyoid muscle (m.sternohyoideus) originates on the posterior surface of the manubrium of the sternum, the posterior sternoclavicular ligament and the sternal end of the clavicle. The muscle is attached to the lower edge of the body of the hyoid bone. Between the medial edges of the sternohyoid muscles of both sides there remains a gap in the form of a triangle tapering upward, within which the superficial and middle (pretracheal) plates of the cervical fascia grow together and form the white line of the neck.
Function: pulls the hyoid bone downwards.
Innervation: cervical loop (CI-CIII).
Blood supply: inferior thyroid artery, transverse cervical artery.
The sternothyroid muscle (m.sternothyroideus) originates on the posterior surface of the manubrium of the sternum and the cartilage of the first rib. It is attached to the oblique line of the thyroid cartilage of the larynx, lies in front of the trachea and thyroid gland, being covered by the lower part of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, the upper belly of the omohyoid muscle and the sternohyoid muscle.
Function: pulls the larynx down.
Innervation: cervical loop (CI-CIII).
Blood supply: inferior thyroid artery, transverse cervical artery.
The thyrohyoid muscle (m.thyrohyoideus) is a continuation of the sternothyroid muscle in the direction of the hyoid bone. It begins on the oblique line of the thyroid cartilage, rises upward and is attached to the body and greater horn of the hyoid bone.
Function: Brings the hyoid bone closer to the larynx. When the hyoid bone is strengthened, it pulls the larynx upward.
Innervation: cervical loop (CI-CIII).
Blood supply: inferior thyroid artery, transverse cervical artery.
The infrahyoid muscles pull the hyoid bone and, with it, the larynx downwards. The sternothyroid muscle can selectively move the thyroid cartilage (along with the larynx) downwards. When the thyrohyoid muscle contracts, the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage come closer to each other. In addition, the infrahyoid muscles, when contracted, strengthen the hyoid bone, to which the mylohyoid and geniohyoid muscles are attached, lowering the lower jaw.