Hyoid Bone
Original Editor - Oladayo Babalola
Top Contributors - Oladayo Babalola, Uchechukwu Chukwuemeka, Kim Jackson and Niha Mulla
Description
The hyoid bone is a horseshoe-shaped structure located at the root of the tongue in the anterior neck between the lower jaw and the largest cartilage of the larynx - the thyroid cartilage.
The hyoid has no direct articulation with other bones; it is only connected distantly to other bones by muscles or ligaments.[1]. The hyoid serves as an attachment structure for the tongue and muscles on the floor of the oral cavity above, the larynx below, and the epiglottis and pharynx behind.[2] It is suspended from the styloid processes of the temporal bones by the stylohyoid ligaments.[3] It aids in tongue movement and deglutition.
Structure
The hyoid is an irregular bone composed of a body, a pair of greater horns (greater cornua) and a pair of lesser horns( lesser cornua):
Body – the central part of the bone. It provides origin and insertion to some muscles.
Greater horn – projects posteriorly, superiorly, and laterally from each end of the body. It acts as a site of attachment for numerous neck muscles.
Lesser horn – small projections from the superior aspect of the hyoid bone, near the origin of the greater horn. The stylohyoid ligament is attached to the apex of each horn.
Muscle attachments
The hyoid bone has many muscles attached to it.[4]
Oral Cavity and Pharynx
- Middle pharyngeal constrictor
- Hyoglossus
- Genioglossus
Suprahyoid
- Digastric
- Stylohyoid
- Geniohyoid
- Mylohyoid
- Thyrohyoid
- Omohyoid
- Sternohyoid
Ligament Attachments
Three main ligaments attach to the hyoid bone.
- Stylohyoid ligament
- Thyrohyoid membrane
- Hyoepiglottic ligament
For more on the hyoid bone, see the video below
Clinical relevance
Fractures of the hyoid are relatively rare due to it's position below the mandible. However, they are characteristically associated with strangulation. They can also occur as a result of trauma, presenting with pain in speaking, odynophagia and dyspnoea.
The hyoid plays an integral role in the upper airway the movement and depression of the hyoid have been implicated in obstructive sleep apnea.[6]
References
- ↑ Kenhub GmbH. Hyoid bone: Anatomy and function | Kenhub. Available from: https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/hyoid-bone (accessed 22 April 2022).
- ↑ The Hyoid Bone - Structure - Attachments - TeachMeAnatomy. Available from: https://teachmeanatomy.info/neck/bones/hyoid-bone/ (accessed 22 April 2022).
- ↑ Keith LM, Arthur FD, Anne A. Clinically oriented anatomy. 8. Philadelphia. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. 2017.
- ↑ Shaw SM, Martino R. The Normal Swallow. Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America. 2013; 46(6), 937–956.
- ↑ Nexus Medical Media. HYOID BONE AND HYOID MUSCLES. Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= QRiSwFgfQS8[last accessed 30/12/2024]
- ↑ Sforza, Emilia et al. Upper Airway Collapsibility and Cephalometric Variables in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 2000; 161(2): 347–352.