Mylohyoid Muscle

Description

Seen in a male lateral head and neck dissection-style view, the mylohyoid forms a muscular sling across the floor of the mouth, arising from the mylohyoid line on the medial surface of the mandible and running inferomedially toward the midline. Right and left mylohyoid fibers meet at the median raphe, then continue posteriorly to the body of the hyoid bone, which sits inferior to the mandibular body and anterior to the upper cervical spine. Posteriorly, the mylohyoid free edge relates to the anterior belly of the digastric superficially and the geniohyoid and tongue base superiorly, while the masseter remains lateral on the mandibular ramus as an external landmark for jaw position. Clinically, this plane matters because the mylohyoid partitions the sublingual space (superior) from the submandibular space (inferior), shaping how odontogenic infections and salivary pathology spread from the mandibular molars into the neck. A high-risk teaching point. Ludwig angina, for example, often tracks along these fascial spaces and can elevate the tongue, threatening the airway, while submandibular sialolithiasis and gland inflammation sit immediately inferior to the mylohyoid and may require surgical approaches planned around the muscle’s posterior margin and the hyoid complex. The lateral perspective helps correlate intraoral anatomy with palpable external landmarks at the mandible and hyoid. Use this illustration for head and neck anatomy labs, dental and oral surgery teaching on the floor of mouth, or otolaryngology texts discussing submandibular space infection pathways and suprahyoid surgical corridors. It also fits clinical education materials on dysphagia mechanics, where suprahyoid elevation begins with coordinated mylohyoid and geniohyoid contraction. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.