Why hyoid bone unique

Show Article Download Cite Statistics Share 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. Your speech therapist may perform specific exercises to help you swallow better, and these may involve getting familiar with your hyoid bone. Your therapist may also teach you how to mobilize your hyoid bone and to stretch or strengthen the muscles that surround it.

Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Anatomy, head and neck, hyoid bone.

Updated April 5, Zhang Z. Mechanics of human voice production and control. J Acoust Soc Am. Pauloski BR. Rehabilitation of dysphagia following head and neck cancer. Messina G. The tongue, mandible, hyoid system.

Eur J Transl Myol. Published Mar Traumatic hyoid bone fracture - a case report and review of the literature. J Can Chiropr Assoc. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellHealth. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. An Overview of Laryngitis. How To Do Swallowing Exercises. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign Up. What are your concerns? Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles.

Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Updated April 5, Zhang Z. Moore, K. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Related Articles. The Anatomy of the Larynx. The Anatomy of the Superior Thyroid Artery. The Anatomy of the External Carotid Artery.

What Is the Retromandibular Vein? The Anatomy of the Inferior Thyroid Artery. The Anatomy of the Posterior Tibial Artery. Understanding the Function of Human Joints. Preforming Cricothyrotomy for Emergency Airway Management. The Transverse Cervical Artery. What Is the Lingual Artery? The Anatomy of the Common Carotid Artery.