European Journal of Anatomy

Official Journal of The Spanish Society of Anatomy
Cover Volume 16 - Number 3
Eur J Anat, 16 (3): 177-183 (2012)

Fiber arrangements of the vertical lingual muscle in human adult subjects

Hideto Saigusa1, Kumiko Tanuma2, Kazuo Yamashita2, Iichirou Aino1,Makoto Saigusa3, Seiji Niimi4

1Department of Otolaryngology, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan 2Department of Anatomy, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan 3Private Practice, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Tyler, Texas, USA 4Department of Speech/ Language and Audiology, International University of Welfare and Health, Tochigi, Japan

ABSTRACT This study identified the anatomy of the vertical lingual muscle and functional relationships between the vertical lingual and the other lingual muscles in the human tongue. Three whole tongues were obtained from adult human cadavers and were used for histological study by the serial section method. At the tip of the tongue, the fibers of the vertical lingual muscle cross with the transverse lingual muscle, and extend inferiorly to the fibers of the inferior longitudinal lingual muscle. At the body of the tongue, the fibers of the vertical lingual muscle are located between the fibers of the superior longitudinal lingual and inferior longitudinal lingual muscle, crossing the fibers of the transverse lingual muscle, instead of crossing the fibers of the extrinsic lingual muscles. At the base of the tongue, the fibers of the vertical lingual muscle start by the fibers of the superior longitudinal lingual muscle, and connect with the fibers of the posterior muscle bundle of the styloglossus muscle. The average diameters of the vertical lingual muscle fibers increased gradually as they approached the base of the tongue. These findings suggest that posterosuperior movement of the tongue body may be accomplished with downward movement of the tip of the tongue by contractions of both the vertical lingual and the styloglossus muscle. The inferior longitudinal lingual muscle may also play a supporting role for the vertical lingual muscle at the tip of the tongue.

Keywords: Vertical lingual muscle, Styloglossus muscle, Inferior longitudinal lingual muscle, Human tongue

European Journal of anatomy
ISSN 2340-311X (Online)