| Stylohyoid ligament | |
|---|---|
 Muscles of the neck. Anterior view. | |
| Details | |
| From | styloid process (temporal) |
| To | hyoid bone |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | ligamentum stylohyoideum |
| TA98 | A03.1.01.003 |
| TA2 | 1567 |
| FMA | 72308 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The stylohyoid ligament is a ligament that extends between the hyoid bone, and the temporal styloid process (of the temporal bone of the skull).
It attaches at the lesser horn of hyoid bone [1] [2] inferiorly,[ citation needed ] and (the apex of [1] ) the styloid process of the temporal bone [1] [2] superiorly.[ citation needed ]
The ligament gives attachment to the superior-most fibres of the middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle. [1]
The ligament is adjacent to the lateral wall of the oropharynx. [1]
Inferiorly, it is adjacent to th hyoglossus. [1]
The stylohyoid ligament frequently contains a little cartilage in its center, which is sometimes partially ossified in Eagle syndrome. [3]
In many animals, the epihyal is a distinct bone in the centre of the stylohyoid ligament, which is similar to that seen in Eagle syndrome.[ citation needed ]
The hyoid bone is a horseshoe-shaped bone situated in the anterior midline of the neck between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. At rest, it lies between the base of the mandible and the third cervical vertebra.
The temporal bones are situated at the sides and base of the skull, and lateral to the temporal lobes of the cerebral cortex.
The digastric muscle is a bilaterally paired suprahyoid muscle located under the jaw. Its posterior belly is attached to the mastoid notch of temporal bone, and its anterior belly is attached to the digastric fossa of mandible; the two bellies are united by an intermediate tendon which is held in a loop that attaches to the hyoid bone. The anterior belly is innervated via the mandibular nerve, and the posterior belly is innervated bia the facial nerve. It may act to depress the mandible or elevate the hyoid bone.
The stylohyoid muscle is one of the suprahyoid muscles. Its originates from the styloid process of the temporal bone; it inserts onto hyoid bone. It is innervated by a branch of the facial nerve. It acts draw the hyoid bone upwards and backwards.
The olecranon, is a large, thick, curved bony eminence of the ulna, a long bone in the forearm that projects behind the elbow. It forms the most pointed portion of the elbow and is opposite to the cubital fossa or elbow pit. The olecranon serves as a lever for the extensor muscles that straighten the elbow joint.
The sternohyoid muscle is a bilaterally paired, long, thin, narrow strap muscle of the anterior neck. It is one of the infrahyoid muscles. It is innervated by the ansa cervicalis. It acts to depress the hyoid bone.
The hyoglossus is a thin and quadrilateral extrinsic muscle of the tongue. It originates from the hyoid bone; it inserts onto the side of the tongue. It is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve. It acts to depress and retract the tongue.
The styloglossus muscle is a bilaterally paired muscle of the tongue. It originates at the styloid process of the temporal bone. It inserts onto the side of the tongue. It acts to elevate and retract the tongue. It is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve.
The middle pharyngeal constrictor is a fan-shaped muscle located in the neck. It is one of three pharyngeal constrictor muscles. It is smaller than the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle.
The stylopharyngeus muscle is a muscle in the head. It originates from the temporal styloid process. Some of its fibres insert onto the thyroid cartilage, while others end by intermingling with proximal structures. It is innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve. It acts to elevate the larynx and pharynx, and dilate the pharynx, thus facilitating swallowing.
The pharyngeal arches, also known as visceral arches, are structures seen in the embryonic development of vertebrates that are recognisable precursors for many structures. In fish, the arches are known as the branchial arches, or gill arches.
The gluteal tuberosity is the lateral one of the three upward prolongations of the linea aspera of the femur, extending to the base of the greater trochanter. It serves as the principal insertion site for the gluteus maximus muscle.
The temporal styloid process is a slender bony process of the temporal bone extending downward and forward from the undersurface of the temporal bone just below the ear. The styloid process gives attachments to several muscles, and ligaments.
In the sphenoid bone, the anterior boundary of the sella turcica is completed by two small eminences, one on either side, called the anterior clinoid processes, while the posterior boundary is formed by a square-shaped plate of bone, the dorsum sellæ, ending at its superior angles in two tubercles, the posterior clinoid processes, the size and form of which vary considerably in different individuals. The posterior clinoid processes deepen the sella turcica, and give attachment to the tentorium cerebelli.
The deep cervical fascia lies under cover of the platysma, and invests the muscles of the neck; it also forms sheaths for the carotid vessels, and for the structures situated in front of the vertebral column. Its attachment to the hyoid bone prevents the formation of a dewlap.
The suprascapular notch is a notch in the superior border of the scapula, just medial to the base of the coracoid process. It is converted into the suprascapular canal by the suprascapular ligament.
The radial styloid process is a projection of bone on the lateral surface of the distal radius bone.
Eagle syndrome is an uncommon condition commonly characterized but not limited to sudden, sharp nerve-like pain in the jaw bone and joint, back of the throat, and base of the tongue, triggered by swallowing, moving the jaw, or turning the neck. First described by American otorhinolaryngologist Watt Weems Eagle in 1937, the condition is caused by an elongated or misshapen styloid process and/or calcification of the stylohyoid ligament, either of which interferes with the functioning of neighboring regions in the body, such as the glossopharyngeal nerve.
The investing layer of deep cervical fascia is the most superficial part of the deep cervical fascia, and encloses the whole neck.
The parapharyngeal space, is a potential space in the head and the neck. It has clinical importance in otolaryngology due to parapharyngeal space tumours and parapharyngeal abscess developing in this area. It is also a key anatomic landmark for localizing disease processes in the surrounding spaces of the neck; the direction of its displacement indirectly reflects the site of origin for masses or infection in adjacent areas, and consequently their appropriate differential diagnosis.
This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 392 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)
