The chondroglossus muscle is a muscle of the tongue. It arises from the medial side of the lesser horn of 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 verte ...

, before blending with intrinsic muscles of the

tongue The tongue is a Muscle, muscular organ (anatomy), organ in the mouth of a typical tetrapod. It manipulates food for chewing and swallowing as part of the digestive system, digestive process, and is the primary organ of taste. The tongue's upper s ...

. 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 b ...

Structure

The chondroglossus muscle is about 2 cm long. It arises from the medial side and base of the lesser horn of the

. It passes directly upward. It then inserts by blending with the intrinsic muscles of the

, between 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 ...

and

genioglossus The genioglossus is one of the paired extrinsic muscles of the tongue. It is a fan-shaped muscle that comprises the bulk of the body of the tongue. It arises from the mental spine of the mandible; it inserts onto the hyoid bone, and the bottom o ...

. 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 (: pharynges) is the part of the throat behind the human mouth, mouth and nasal cavity, and above the esophagus and trachea (the tubes going down to the stomach and the lungs respectively). It is found in vertebrates and invertebrates ...

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 (: tracheae or tracheas), 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 animals' lungs. The trachea extends from ...

Additional images

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

References

{{Authority control Muscles of the head and neck