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Stylohyoid ligament: anatomy, location and function

A fibrous band from the styloid process to the hyoid. Suspends the hyoid from the skull.

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Highlighted in the model: Stylohyoid ligament. Click any part to read about it, or switch off “Highlight topic” to see the whole body. 3D data: BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0; meshes simplified and recoloured. The model is an adult male.

Stylohyoid ligament at a glance

What it is
A fibrous band from the styloid process to the hyoid.
Location
Runs from the tip of the styloid process to the lesser horn of the hyoid.
Function
Suspends the hyoid from the skull.
Body system
Skeletal · paired (left and right)
FMA ID
FMA72311 (Foundational Model of Anatomy)

Key facts

  • It derives from the second pharyngeal arch.
  • The lesser horn of the hyoid and this ligament are derivatives of Reichert's cartilage, the cartilage of the second pharyngeal arch.

Clinical relevance

Ossification can contribute to Eagle syndrome.

Structures next to the stylohyoid ligament

The nearest named structures in the 3D model, measured from the centre of each part:

References

  1. Foundational Model of Anatomy: Stylohyoid ligament (FMA72311). EMBL-EBI Ontology Lookup Service.
  2. OpenStax. Anatomy and Physiology 2e, §7.1 Divisions of the Skeletal System. Rice University, 2022.
  3. Mitsuhashi N. et al. (2009). BodyParts3D: 3D structure database for anatomical concepts. Nucleic Acids Research 37, D782–D785. Data © The Database Center for Life Science, CC BY 4.0.

Related anatomy

Explore the whole body in the interactive 3D human anatomy model, or browse the A–Z list of human structures.