hi this is dr fox and let's talk about the pharyngeal muscles in this video we'll discuss
the wall of the pharynx and the individual muscles which comprise it the pharynx as
the aerodigestive pathway is predominantly a muscular structure which is lined by mucosa
there are two separate sets of pharyngeal muscles three pairs in each set the first set consists of
three pharyngeal constrictors which nest within one another a superior a middle and
an inferior set these muscles are going to attach to different elements of osteology and then meet
their counterparts along the posterior margin and attach to them along a pharyngeal raphe
there are also three sets of longitudinal muscles one of which is visible here
muscles are going to attach to different osteological elements and insert either in
the wall of the pharynx or to the larynx which when activated shorten and widen the pharynx
all of these muscles with the exception of the stylopharyngeus are innervated by the
pharyngeal neural plexus but let's take a better look
at these muscles so the pharyngeal constrictor muscles
consist of the superior pharyngeal constrictor the middle pharyngeal constrictor and the inferior
pharyngeal constrictor these are innervated by the pharyngeal neural plexus and when activated they
serially constrict so as to serially constrict the pharynx and push any materials along distally
they originate on various osteological structures so for instance the superior
pharyngeal constrictor arises from elements of the skull so both the cranium and the mandible and a
connection of investing fascia known as the pterygomandibular raphe the middle pharyngeal
constrictor originates on the hyoid bone and the inferior pharyngeal constrictor originates on
cartilaginous elements of the larynx namely the thyroid cartilage in the cricoid cartilage
all three of these muscles meet their counterparts exterior edge
and form a seam called the pharyngeal raphe
the longitudinal muscles
also are going to originate on various elements of the of the bony skull
so we have the stylopharyngeus it comes from the styloid process we can see that coming down here
stylopharyngeus if you recall from our discussions of the pharynx when it's invested by mucosa is
what forms that pharyngo-epiglottic fold that boundary between the oro- and a laryngopharynges
there are also two other muscles there's the salpingopharyngeus
which you don't really need to know the name of and the palatopharyngeus
which come down blend together and insert in the wall of the pharynx
activated these three muscles are going to elevate the larynx and what that does is it both shortens
barracks so as to help move materials
along distally through the pharynx and down through the esophagus
longitudinal muscles with the exception of stylopharyngeus
are all innervated by the pharyngeal neural plexus the stylopharyngeus muscle is innervated
efferently by the glossopharyngeal nerve or cranial nerve number nine
so we've discussed the muscular wall of the pharynx and the constituent
sets of muscles this is your summary slide thank you very much for your time