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Sublingual nerve
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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The sublingual nerve (n. Hypoglossus), formed by the fibers of the motor nucleus, innervates the muscles of the tongue and some muscles of the neck. From the brain, the nerve emerges in the furrow between the pyramid and the olive, is directed forward and laterally into the canal of the hyoid nerve of the occipital bone. Coming out of the canal, the sublingual nerve goes down and forth, rounds the vagus nerve and the inner carotid artery from the lateral side. Passing between the internal carotid artery and the internal jugular vein, the nerve is guided under the posterior abdomen of the digastric muscle and under the sylvous tubercle muscle in the submandibular triangle, where it forms an arc convex downward. Then this nerve goes forward and upward into the thickness of the tongue to his muscles.
A descending branch departs from the sublingual nerve. It contains motor fibers that connect to fibers that branch from the anterior branches of the first and second spinal nerves. The resulting neck loop (ansa cervicalis) is located anterior to the common carotid artery or on the anterior surface of the internal jugular vein (less often behind it).
The branches of the cervical loop innervate the scapular-hyoid, the sternum-sublingual, the sternum-thyroid and the thyroid-hyoid muscle. In the sublingual nerve there are sensitive fibers (from the lower node of the vagus nerve), which are separated in the canal of the hyoid nerve and innervate the hard shell of the brain in the region of the occipital bone and occipital sinus.
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