The stylohyoid ligament is a ligament that connects the

hyoid bone The hyoid bone (lingual bone or tongue-bone) () is a horseshoe-shaped bone situated in the anterior midline of the neck between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. At rest, it lies between the base of the mandible and the third cervical ver ...

to the temporal styloid process (of the

temporal bone The temporal bones are situated at the sides and base of the skull, and lateral to the temporal lobes of the cerebral cortex. The temporal bones are overlaid by the sides of the head known as the temples, and house the structures of the ears. T ...

of the skull).

Structure

The stylohyoid ligament connects the

lesser horn The hyoid bone (lingual bone or tongue-bone) () is a horseshoe-shaped bone situated in the anterior midline of the neck between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. At rest, it lies between the base of the mandible and the third cervical vertebra ...

to the styloid process of the

of the skull.

Clinical significance

The stylohyoid ligament frequently contains a little

cartilage Cartilage is a resilient and smooth type of connective tissue. In tetrapods, it covers and protects the ends of long bones at the joints as articular cartilage, and is a structural component of many body parts including the rib cage, the neck an ...

in its center, which is sometimes partially

ossified Ossification (also called osteogenesis or bone mineralization) in bone remodeling is the process of laying down new bone material by cells named osteoblasts. It is synonymous with bone tissue formation. There are two processes resulting in th ...

in Eagle syndrome.

Other animals

In many animals, the epihyal is a distinct bone in the centre of the stylohyoid ligament, which is similar to that seen in Eagle syndrome.

References

Additional images

File:Ligamentum stylohyoideum ossifiziert.jpg, Ossified stylohyoid ligament or elongated styloid process

External links

Diagram at occup-med.com
* {{Authority control Human head and neck Ligaments