1.10 Hyoid Bone

1.10.1  Objectives

  1. Understand the morphology of the hyoid bone
  2. Realize the spatial relationships of the hyoid bone within the neck.

1.10.2  Background

The hyoid bone develops first as a hyaline cartilage structure and begins endochondral ossification during the first year of life. It occupies the neck region opposite the third or fourth cervical vertebra and between the mandible and the larynx.  This bone lacks osseous articulations and instead is suspended by the supra- and infrahyoid muscles.  A bony projection, or lingula, is found in the center of the upper surface of the hyoid body. The feature demarcates the point where the embyrological thyroglossal duct reaches the hyoid bone, and this process is considered a residue of the thyroglossal duct

The hyoid bone can be easily palpated when the neck is relaxed, even though it is subject to a considerable morphological variability.   The two greater horns can be pinched by the thumb and first finger.  An anesthetic can be injected through the thyrohyoid membrane that lies just below the bone and the site of the entrance of the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve into the internal aspect of the pharynx.

The hyoid bone is connected to the mandible through several suprahyoid muscles.  The face and mandible undergo various changes during the aging process and, as a result, can affect position of the hyoid increasing the risk of aspiration.

1.10.3  Laboratory Exercises

1. Hyoid bone

The hyoid bone supports the base of the tongue and is involved in breathing, chewing, and swallowing as well as in the muscle movements associated with speech.  The shape of the hyoid bone is characterized by a horseshoe- or U-form  composed of a rectangular body anteriorly from which small bilateral bony project (lesser horns, cornua minoria) as well as large bony projections (greater horns, cornua majoria) extend posteriorly. The hyoid bone is connected to the nearby structures by ligaments and muscles, without any synovial joints, thus “floating” in the neck region

1.10.4 Assessment

1.Which of the following statements concerning the hyoid bone is false based on this model of the airway?

  1. The hyoid bone is superior to the thyroid cartilage.
  2. The hyoid bone has muscular attachment related to the oral cavity.
  3. The hyoid bone is anterior to the epiglottis.
  4. The hyoid bone is attached to the thyroid via the thyrohyoid membrane.
  5. On a sagittal x-ray, the hyoid can be found anterior to the atlas and axis vertebrae.

Answer

5

※ The indices for the linked structures on this page

Back To Top