Middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle

Middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle
Muscles of the pharynx and cheek. (Constrictor pharyngis medius labeled at center left.)
Muscles of the pharynx, viewed from behind, together with the associated vessels and nerves. (Mid. constr. labeleda at center.)
Latin	musculus constrictor pharyngis medius
Gray's	subject #244 1143
Origin	hyoid bone
Insertion	pharyngeal raphe
Artery
Nerve	Pharyngeal plexus of vagus nerve
Actions	Swallowing

The middle pharyngeal constrictor is a fanshaped muscle, smaller than the Inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle.

Origin and insertion

It arises from the whole length of the upper border of the greater cornu of the hyoid bone, from the lesser cornu, and from the stylohyoid ligament.

The fibers diverge from their origin: the lower ones descend beneath the Constrictor inferior, the middle fibers pass transversely, and the upper fibers ascend and overlap the Constrictor superior.

It is inserted into the posterior median fibrous raphé, blending in the middle line with the muscle of the opposite side.

Action

As soon as the bolus of food is received in the pharynx, the elevator muscles relax, the pharynx descends, and the constrictors contract upon the bolus, and convey it downward into the esophagus.

Additional images

• 

  Hyoid bone. Anterior surface. Enlarged.

• 

  Muscles of the neck. Lateral view.

External links

• LUC mcon
• lesson8 at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (latpharyngealitems3)

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.