European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

The hyoid bone is a horseshoe-shaped bone situated in the anterior midline of the neck between the chin and the thyroid cartilage. At rest, it lies at the level of the base of the mandible in the front and the third cervical vertebra (C3) behind. The hyoid bone is a unique structure in the human body for many reasons. The hyoid bone is the only bone in humans that does not articulate with any other bone, but only has muscular, ligamentous, and cartilaginous attachments. Together with its attached muscles, the hyoid bone has number of physiological functions, including breathing, swallowing and speech and other two important functions: it holds up the tongue, which sits above it, and it holds up the larynx, which hangs below it by bracing these structures alongside each other in order to produce variation. Typically, a broken hyoid result from forced strangulation (i.e. choking). The position of the hyoid bone one of the important considerations for obstructive sleep apnoea because it anchors the musculature of the tongue in keeping the airway patent. A few other clinical considerations such as Hyoid bone insertion tendinitis, hyoid bone syndrome, Eagle’s syndromes are discussed in this article.