Hyoid Bone
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Description[edit | edit source]
The hyoid bone is a horseshoe-shaped structure located at 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 in 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.3,5 It aids in tongue movement and deglutition.
Structure[edit | edit source]
The hyoid is an irregular boned 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[edit | edit source]
The hyoid bone has many muscles attached to it.[3]
Oral Cavity and Pharynx
- Middle pharyngeal constrictor
- Hyoglossus
- Genioglossus
Suprahyoid
- Digastric
- Stylohyoid
- Geniohyoid
- Mylohyoid
Infrahyoid
- Thyrohyoid
- Omohyoid
- Sternohyoid
Ligament Attachments[edit | edit source]
There are three main ligaments that attach to the hyoid bone.
- Stylohyoid ligament
- Thyrohyoid membrane
- Hyoepiglottic ligament
Clinical relevance[edit | edit source]
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 on speaking, odynophagia and dyspnoea. [2]
The hyoid plays an integral role in upper airway the movement and depression of the hyoid has been implicated in obstructive sleep apnea.[4]
Resources[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Kenhub GmbH. Hyoid bone: Anatomy and function | Kenhub. Available from: https://www.kenhub.com/en/library/anatomy/hyoid-bone (accessed 22 April 2022).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Hyoid Bone - Structure - Attachments - TeachMeAnatomy. Available from: https://teachmeanatomy.info/neck/bones/hyoid-bone/ (accessed 22 April 2022).
- ↑ Shaw SM, Martino R. The Normal Swallow. Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America. 2013; 46(6), 937–956.
- ↑ 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.
