Infrahyoid muscles
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View Craig Hacking's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Bence Paládi had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Bence Paládi's current disclosures- Strap muscles
The infrahyoid muscles or strap muscles are a group of four paired muscles in the anterior neck below the hyoid bone, within the muscular triangle. They are responsible for depressing the hyoid during swallowing. These muscles can be remembered by the mnemonic "TOSS".
They can be difficult to distinguish radiographically.
On this page:
Gross anatomy
There are four strap muscles:
thyrohyoid: deep and lateral
omohyoid: superficial and lateral
sternohyoid: superficial and medial
sternothyroid: deep and medial
The strap muscles are ensheathed by the middle layer of the deep cervical fascia, thereby forming one of the deep fascial compartments of the neck, although it is not commonly recognized as such 4.
Innervation
Each muscle is supplied by different nerves from the ansa cervicalis.
Blood supply
Sternohyoid receives supply from branches of the superior thyroid artery.
Thyrohyoid, omohyoid and sternothyroid receive supply from branches of the superior thyroid and lingual arteries5.
History and etymology
The name "strap muscles" comes from their long and flat shape, similar to a belt or strap 3.
Clinical importance
The muscles are retracted apart in the midline to access the thyroid gland for thyroidectomy.
References
- 1. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Hartwig W. Fundamental Anatomy. LWW. (2008) ISBN:0781768888. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Guidera AK, Dawes PJ, Fong A, Stringer MD. Head and neck fascia and compartments: no space for spaces. (2014) Head & neck. 36 (7): 1058-68. doi:10.1002/hed.23442 - Pubmed
- 5. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. (2015) ISBN: 9780702052309
Incoming Links
- Omohyoid muscle
- Laryngeal carcinoma (staging)
- Ansa cervicalis
- Hypoglossal nerve
- Deep spaces of the head and neck
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- Larynx
- Sternohyoid muscle
- Thyroid gland
- Hyoid bone
- Middle layer of the deep cervical fascia
- Differentiated thyroid cancer (staging)
- Thyroglossal duct cyst
- Muscular triangle
- Sternothyroid muscle
- Thymus
- BTA ultrasound "U" classification of thyroid nodules
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