Sublingual Space

spatium sublinguale

The sublingual space lies in the floor of the mouth, above the mylohyoid muscle and below the mucosa. It contains the sublingual gland, the submandibular duct, the lingual nerve and the hypoglossal nerve, and it communicates with the submandibular space around the back edge of mylohyoid.

Anatomical Data

Boundaries & Contents

Location	Floor of the mouth, above the mylohyoid.
Boundaries	Oral mucosa above Mylohyoid below Mandible anteriorly and laterally Genioglossus and geniohyoid medially
Contents	Sublingual gland Submandibular duct Deep part of the submandibular gland Lingual nerve Hypoglossal nerve Sublingual artery and vein

Biomechanics

Function & Actions

Holds the sublingual gland and the nerves and duct of the floor of the mouth.

Clinical Relevance

Clinical Notes

Infections from the lower front teeth whose roots lie above the mylohyoid attachment spread into this space. Spread to both sides along with the submandibular spaces causes Ludwig angina, which can push the tongue up and back and block the airway. A ranula, a mucus cyst of the sublingual gland, forms here.

Pathology

Common Injuries & Conditions

Ludwig Angina

A rapidly spreading infection of the sublingual and submandibular spaces on both sides, raising the floor of the mouth and threatening the airway.

Ranula

A mucus retention cyst from the sublingual gland that forms a bluish swelling in the floor of the mouth.

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