Digastric

The digastric muscle is a suprahyoid muscle of the neck. It consist of two muscular bellies which are connected via a tendon.

• Attachments: 
  • The anterior belly arises from the digastric fossa of the mandible.
  • The posterior belly arises from the mastoid process of the temporal bone.
  • The two bellies are connected by an intermediate tendon, which is attached to the hyoid bone via a fibrous sling.
• Actions: Depresses the mandible and elevates the hyoid bone.
• Innervation:
  • The anterior belly is innervated by the inferior alveolar nerve, a branch of the mandibular nerve (which is derived from the trigeminal nerve, CN V).
  • The posterior belly is innervated by the digastric branch of the facial nerve.
• Blood Supply: Vertebral artery and the deep descending branch of the occipital artery.

By TeachMeSeries Ltd (2025)

Fig 1
Lateral view of the neck with three of the suprahyoid muscles highlighted (digastric, mylohyoid and stylohyoid)

By TeachMeSeries Ltd (2025)

Fig 2
Anterior view of the neck with the suprahyoid muscles highlighted.