Mylohyoid
Neck · Head & Neck
The Mylohyoid is found among the Neck muscles of the Head & Neck. It arises from Mylohyoid line of mandible and attaches to Body of hyoid bone and median fibrous raphe. It is responsible for several movements: Elevates hyoid bone and floor of mouth; depresses mandible. Its nerve supply is the Mylohyoid nerve (branch of inferior alveolar nerve, CN V3).
Origin, Insertion, Action & Nerve
Origin
Mylohyoid line of mandible
Insertion
Body of hyoid bone and median fibrous raphe
Action
Elevates hyoid bone and floor of mouth; depresses mandible
Nerve
Mylohyoid nerve (branch of inferior alveolar nerve, CN V3)
Attachments explained
The Mylohyoid 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
Mylohyoid line of mandible
Insertion
Body of hyoid bone and median fibrous raphe
Action & function
When the Mylohyoid contracts, it produces the following movements: Elevates hyoid bone and floor of mouth; depresses mandible.
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 Mylohyoid receives its nerve supply from the Mylohyoid nerve (branch of inferior alveolar nerve, CN V3).
Because a muscle can only contract when its nerve is intact, injury to the Mylohyoid nerve can weaken or paralyse the Mylohyoid, impairing the movements it normally produces (elevates hyoid bone and floor of mouth). This is why knowing the innervation is central to localising nerve lesions in clinical practice.
How to study the Mylohyoid (the OIANS method)
OIANS stands for Origin, Insertion, Action and Nerve, the four facts that uniquely define every skeletal muscle. To learn the Mylohyoid, work through them in order: picture its origin, trace the muscle to its insertion, reason out the action that shortening between those two points must create, then add the nerve that drives it.
Most students remember the Mylohyoid fastest by linking its action back to its attachments rather than memorising each fact in isolation. Once the origin and insertion make sense, the action usually follows logically.
Mylohyoid quick facts
- Region
- Head & Neck
- Group
- Neck
- Origin
- Mylohyoid line of mandible
- Insertion
- Body of hyoid bone and median fibrous raphe
- Action
- Elevates hyoid bone and floor of mouth; depresses mandible
- Nerve
- Mylohyoid nerve (branch of inferior alveolar nerve, CN V3)
- Spinal roots
- —
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Mylohyoid located?
The Mylohyoid is a muscle of the Neck group, located in the Head & Neck.
What is the origin of the Mylohyoid?
Mylohyoid line of mandible
What is the insertion of the Mylohyoid?
Body of hyoid bone and median fibrous raphe
What movements does the Mylohyoid produce?
Elevates hyoid bone and floor of mouth; depresses mandible
What nerve supplies the Mylohyoid?
Mylohyoid nerve (branch of inferior alveolar nerve, CN V3)
Is the Mylohyoid free to study in OIANS?
The Mylohyoid 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
Study the Mylohyoid
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