The submandibular triangle (or submaxillary or digastric triangle) corresponds to the region of the neck immediately beneath the body of the

mandible In jawed vertebrates, the mandible (from the Latin ''mandibula'', 'for chewing'), lower jaw, or jawbone is a bone that makes up the lowerand typically more mobilecomponent of the mouth (the upper jaw being known as the maxilla). The jawbone i ...

Boundaries and coverings

It is bounded: * ''above'', by the lower border of the body of the

, and a line drawn from its angle to the

mastoid process The mastoid part of the temporal bone is the posterior (back) part of the temporal bone, one of the bones of the skull. Its rough surface gives attachment to various muscles (via tendons) and it has openings for blood vessels. From its borders, t ...

; * ''below'', by the posterior belly of the

Digastricus The digastric muscle (also digastricus) (named ''digastric'' as it has two 'bellies') is a bilaterally paired suprahyoid muscle located under the jaw. Its posterior belly is attached to the mastoid notch of temporal bone, and its anterior belly ...

; in front, by the anterior belly of the

. It is covered by the

integument In biology, an integument is the tissue surrounding an organism's body or an organ within, such as skin, a husk, Exoskeleton, shell, germ or Peel (fruit), rind. Etymology The term is derived from ''integumentum'', which is Latin for "a coverin ...

superficial fascia A fascia (; : fasciae or fascias; adjective fascial; ) is a generic term for macroscopic membranous bodily structures. Fasciae are classified as superficial, visceral or deep, and further designated according to their anatomical location. Th ...

Platysma The platysma muscle or platysma is a :wikt:superficial, superficial muscle of the human neck that overlaps the sternocleidomastoid. It covers the anterior surface of the neck superficially. When it contracts, it produces a slight wrinkling of the ...

, and deep fascia, ramifying in which are branches of the

facial nerve The facial nerve, also known as the seventh cranial nerve, cranial nerve VII, or simply CN VII, is a cranial nerve that emerges from the pons of the brainstem, controls the muscles of facial expression, and functions in the conveyance of ta ...

and ascending filaments of the cutaneous cervical nerve. Its floor is formed by the Mylohyoideus anteriorly, and by the

hyoglossus The hyoglossus is a thin and quadrilateral extrinsic muscle of the tongue. It originates from the hyoid bone; it inserts onto the side of the tongue. It is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (cranial nerve XII). It acts to depress and retract th ...

posteriorly.

Triangles

* Beclard Triangle * Lesser Triangle * Pirogoff Triangle

Divisions

It is divided into an anterior and a posterior part by the stylomandibular ligament.

Anterior part

The anterior part contains the

submandibular gland The paired submandibular glands (historically known as submaxillary glands) are major salivary glands located beneath the floor of the mouth. In adult humans, they each weigh about 15 grams and contribute some 60–67% of unstimulated saliva sec ...

, superficial to which is the anterior facial vein, while imbedded in the gland is the

facial artery The facial artery, formerly called the external maxillary artery, is a branch of the external carotid artery that supplies blood to superficial structures of the medial regions of the face. Structure The facial artery arises in the carotid t ...

and its glandular branches. Beneath the gland, on the surface of the Mylohyoideus, are the submental artery and the mylohyoid artery and nerve.

Posterior part

The posterior part of this triangle contains the external carotid artery, ascending deeply in the substance of the

parotid gland The parotid gland is a major salivary gland in many animals. In humans, the two parotid glands are present on either side of the mouth and in front of both ears. They are the largest of the salivary glands. Each parotid is wrapped around the m ...

This vessel lies here in front of, and superficial to, the external carotid, being crossed by the

, and gives off in its course the posterior auricular,

superficial temporal In human anatomy, the superficial temporal artery is a major artery of the head. It arises from the external carotid artery when it splits into the superficial temporal artery and maxillary artery. Its pulse can be felt above the zygomatic arc ...

, and internal maxillary branches: more deeply are the

internal carotid The internal carotid artery is an artery in the neck which supplies the anterior and middle cerebral circulation. In human anatomy, the internal and external carotid arise from the common carotid artery, where it bifurcates at cervical verteb ...

, the

internal jugular vein The internal jugular vein is a paired jugular vein that collects blood from the brain and the superficial parts of the face and neck. This vein runs in the carotid sheath with the common carotid artery and vagus nerve. It begins in the posteri ...

, and the

vagus nerve The vagus nerve, also known as the tenth cranial nerve (CN X), plays a crucial role in the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating involuntary functions within the human body. This nerve carries both sensory and motor fibe ...

, separated from the external carotid by the

Styloglossus The styloglossus muscle is a bilaterally paired muscle of the tongue. It originates at the styloid process of the temporal bone. It inserts onto the side of the tongue. It acts to elevate and retract the tongue. It is innervated by the hypogloss ...

and

Stylopharyngeus The stylopharyngeus muscle is a muscle in the head. It originates from the temporal styloid process. Some of its fibres insert onto the thyroid cartilage, while others end by intermingling with proximal structures. It is innervated by the glosso ...

, and 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 b ...

Additional images

File:Gray1194.png, Anterolateral view of head and neck. File:Gray512.svg, The triangles of the neck. (Anterior triangles to the left; posterior triangles to the right. Suprahyoid labeled at left.)

Summary of contents

The following summarizes the important structures found in the submandibular triangle: *

Submandibular gland The paired submandibular glands (historically known as submaxillary glands) are major salivary glands located beneath the floor of the mouth. In adult humans, they each weigh about 15 grams and contribute some 60–67% of unstimulated saliva sec ...

Facial artery The facial artery, formerly called the external maxillary artery, is a branch of the external carotid artery that supplies blood to superficial structures of the medial regions of the face. Structure The facial artery arises in the carotid t ...

(cervical section) with branches # Submental artery #

Ascending palatine artery The ascending palatine artery is an artery is a branch of the facial artery which ascends along the neck before splitting into two terminal branches; one branch supplies the soft palate, and the other supplies the palatine tonsil and pharyngotympa ...

# Glandular branches to the submandibular branch # Tonsillar branch to palatine tonsil * Facial vein *

Lingual artery The lingual artery arises from the external carotid artery between the superior thyroid artery and facial artery. It can be located easily in the tongue. Structure The lingual artery first branches off from the external carotid artery. It runs ...

Lingual vein The lingual veins are veins of the tongue with two distinct courses: one group drains into the lingual vein, while another group drains either into the lingual artery, (common) facial vein, or internal jugular vein. Clinical significance The ...

Submandibular lymph nodes The submandibular lymph nodes (submaxillary glands in older texts), are some 3-6 lymph nodes situated at the inferior border of the ramus of mandible. Anatomy They are situated just superficial to the submandibular salivary gland, and posterola ...

Submandibular ganglion The submandibular ganglion (or submaxillary ganglion in older texts) is part of the human autonomic nervous system. It is one of four parasympathetic ganglia of the head and neck. (The others are the otic ganglion, pterygopalatine ganglion, an ...

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 b ...

CN XII *

Lingual nerve The lingual nerve carries sensory innervation from the anterior two-thirds of the tongue. It contains fibres from both the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve (CN V) and from the facial nerve (CN VII). The fibres from the trigeminal nerve ...

Mylohyoid nerve The mylohyoid nerve (or nerve to mylohyoid) is a mixed nerve of the head. It is a branch of the inferior alveolar nerve. It provides motor innervation the mylohyoid muscle, and the anterior belly of the digastric muscle. It provides sensory inn ...

Cervical branch of the facial nerve The cervical branch of the facial nerve is a nerve in the neck. It is a branch of the facial nerve (VII). It supplies the platysma muscle, among other functions. Structure The cervical branch of the facial nerve is a branch of the facial nerve ...

References

External links

* () * * *
Overview at bcm.edu

{{Authority control Human head and neck Triangles of the neck