Fiber arrangements of the vertical lingual muscle in human adult subjects

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 (AU)

RESUMEN

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