Five-headed superior omohyoid

Folia Morphol (Warsz). 2023;82(4):975-979. doi: 10.5603/FM.a2022.0091. Epub 2022 Nov 17.

Abstract

The omohyoid is an infrahyoid muscle with two bellies. It is responsible for lowering and positioning of the hyoid bone. It is morphologically variable in the origin, insertion and morphology of its bellies. Quantitative variations of the superior belly of the omohyoid muscle are not common. We present a case of a five-headed superior omohyoid, and a short clinical review related to this muscle. All the bellies had their origin in an intermediate tendon and were attached to the hyoid bone. The volume of its superior part was greater than usual. Knowledge of the anatomy of this muscle is important, especially for surgeons operating in the anterolateral neck region.

Keywords: additional head; clinical implications; compression; myofascial pain syndrome; omohyoid muscle; plastic surgery; reconstructive surgery.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Knowledge
  • Neck
  • Neck Muscles* / anatomy & histology
  • Surgeons*
  • Tendons