Topics

Topic

design image
Sternohyoid muscle

The sternohyoid muscle is a thin, strap-like infrahyoid muscle located in the anterior region of the neck. It plays a vital role in the movement and stabilization of the hyoid bone during swallowing and speech. The muscle is superficial and easily identified on imaging and during surgical procedures of the neck. Understanding its anatomy, nerve and vascular supply, as well as imaging features, is important for clinical diagnosis and surgical planning.

Anatomy of Sternohyoid Muscle

  • Origin:

    • Posterior surface of the manubrium of the sternum

    • Posterior aspect of the medial end of the clavicle

  • Insertion:

    • Inferior border of the body of the hyoid bone

Function

  • Depresses the hyoid bone after swallowing

  • Assists in stabilizing the hyoid bone during speech and swallowing movements

Nerve Supply

  • Innervated by the ansa cervicalis, a branch of the cervical plexus (mainly from C1 to C3 nerve roots)

Artery Supply

  • Supplied mainly by branches of the superior thyroid artery (a branch of the external carotid artery)

  • Additional minor supply from the lingual and inferior thyroid arteries

Vein Supply

  • Drained primarily by the superior thyroid vein

  • Venous blood then drains into the internal jugular vein

MRI Appearance

  • T1-Weighted Images:

    • Appears as a muscle with intermediate (isointense) signal relative to other neck muscles

  • T2-Weighted Images:

    • Shows a slightly higher signal than T1 but still lower than fat; maintains the muscle’s homogeneous appearance

  • STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery):

    • Sternohyoid muscle appears hypointense (dark) compared to fat; any edema or pathology would appear hyperintense (bright)

CT Appearance

  • Appears as a well-defined, strap-like soft tissue structure anterior to the thyroid cartilage and trachea

  • Similar density to adjacent neck muscles

MRI images

Sternohyoid muscle axial mri image

CT image

sternohyoid muscle anatomy CT axial image -img-00000-00000