Omohyoid (Musculus omohyoideus)
Educational content only — not medical advice.
Anatomy
The neck’s only two-bellied muscle: an inferior belly from the scapula via the cervical fascia and a superior belly to the hyoid joined by an intermediate tendon; its oblique course divides the posterior triangle.
Origin & insertion
Superior border of the scapula near the suprascapular notch.
Action
Depresses the hyoid and tenses the cervical fascia preventing deep-inspiration collapse.
Innervation
Ansa cervicalis (C1–C3).
Clinical notes
Its crossing marks the jugulo-omohyoid node in neck imaging; muscle strain after neck trauma mimics a mass, and identifying it is the first step in posterior-triangle dissection.
Related structures
Educational references
FAQ
What is the role of the Omohyoid?
The neck’s only two-bellied muscle: an inferior belly from the scapula via the cervical fascia and a superior belly to the hyoid joined by an intermediate tendon; its oblique course divides the posterior triangle.
Why is the Omohyoid clinically important?
Its crossing marks the jugulo-omohyoid node in neck imaging; muscle strain after neck trauma mimics a mass, and identifying it is the first step in posterior-triangle dissection.
Source & license
BodyParts3D, © The Database Center for Life Science licensed under CC Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). license details