Hyoglossus Muscle of the Male Head and Neck, Sagittal View

Description

Anterior to the cervical vertebral column, a sagittal section through the male head and neck exposes the tongue root and the quadrilateral hyoglossus muscle rising from the body and greater horn of the hyoid bone toward the lateral aspect of the tongue. Superiorly, the genioglossus and intrinsic tongue musculature abut it, while inferiorly the mylohyoid and suprahyoid region frame its hyoid attachment; posteriorly the laryngeal inlet and pharyngeal airway sit in close relationship. Bony landmarks along the slice include the mandible and its dentoalveolar region, the cranial base, and the upper cervical vertebrae in near-anatomic alignment. Surgeons and trainees care about this muscle because it defines a corridor into the floor of mouth. The lingual artery classically courses deep to the hyoglossus, while the hypoglossal nerve and lingual nerve lie more superficial, so the plane along its lateral surface becomes a practical landmark when exposing the artery, controlling hemorrhage, or approaching deep tongue lesions. Small mistakes here are not subtle. Hypoglossal neuropraxia, floor-of-mouth hematoma, and postoperative dysarthria are real consequences when fascial planes around the hyoglossus are misunderstood. Use this sagittal head and neck illustration for gross anatomy teaching on extrinsic tongue muscles, dental and ENT modules on swallowing mechanics, and surgical atlases covering transoral and submandibular approaches to the tongue base and hyoid region. It also fits well in radiology correlation pieces that map tongue and suprahyoid structures to midline CT or MRI slices. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.