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8.3: Hyoid Bone

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    Hyoid Bone

    Rotating skeleton with the hyoid bone highlighted red.

    Above: The upper skeleton with the hyoid bone highlighted in red. The hyoid is the only bone that does not articulate with any other bone of the skeleton.

    The hyoid bone is located between the base of the mandible and the 3rd cervical vertebra. It is an attachment point for many muscles responsible for tongue movement and swallowing. The hyoid bone in the neck is the only bone in the body that does not articulate directly with at least one other bone. It is U-shaped and is held in place by, and helps anchor, muscles that connect to the floor of the mouth and the tongue. It helps provide greater movement of the tongue and larynx, and so is crucial to human speech. In about 50% of strangulations, the hyoid bone is fractured.

    Diagram of the hyoid bone.

    Rotating hyoid bone.

    Above: Hyoid bone with an anterior view (top left) and an anterolateral view (top right).

    This page titled 8.3: Hyoid Bone is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Rosanna Hartline.

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      Rosanna Hartline
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      1. hyoid bone