The chondroglossus muscle is a muscle of the tongue. It arises from the medial side of the lesser horn of the hyoid bone, before blending with intrinsic muscles of the

tongue The tongue is a muscular organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for mastication and swallowing as part of the digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper surface (dorsum) is covered by taste ...

. It is supplied by the

hypoglossal nerve The hypoglossal nerve, also known as the twelfth cranial nerve, cranial nerve XII, or simply CN XII, is a cranial nerve that innervates all the extrinsic and intrinsic muscles of the tongue except for the palatoglossus, which is innervated by ...

Structure

The chondroglossus muscle is about 2 cm long. It arises from the medial side and base of the lesser horn of the hyoid bone. It passes directly upward. It then inserts by blending with the intrinsic muscles of the

, between the

hyoglossus The hyoglossus, thin and quadrilateral, arises from the side of the body and from the whole length of the greater cornu of the hyoid bone, and passes almost vertically upward to enter the side of the tongue, between the styloglossus and the inf ...

and

genioglossus The genioglossus is one of the paired extrinsic muscles of the tongue. The genioglossus is the major muscle responsible for protruding (or sticking out) the tongue. Structure Genioglossus is the fan-shaped extrinsic tongue muscle that forms the ma ...

. The chondroglossus muscle is sometimes described as a part of the

. However, is separated from it by fibers of the

, which pass to the side of the

pharynx The pharynx (plural: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and above the oesophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates, though its st ...

Nerve supply

The chondroglossus muscle is supplied by the first lateral branch of the

. Some studies have found that it does not contain proprioceptive spindles to determine stretch.

Clinical significance

The chondroglossus muscle may be cut in the suprahyoid release surgery, which can be used during resection of the

trachea The trachea, also known as the windpipe, is a cartilaginous tube that connects the larynx to the bronchi of the lungs, allowing the passage of air, and so is present in almost all air- breathing animals with lungs. The trachea extends from the ...

Additional images

File:Gray186.png, Hyoid bone. Anterior surface. Enlarged.

References

{{Authority control Muscles of the head and neck