What is the hyoid bone?
Q: What is the hyoid bone?
A: The hyoid bone is a horseshoe-shaped bone located in the front of the neck, between the chin and the thyroid cartilage (Adam's apple).
Q: What is the position of the hyoid bone in the neck?
A: At rest, the hyoid bone lies at the level of the mandible in the front and the third cervical vertebra behind.
Q: Is the hyoid bone connected to other bones directly?
A: No, the hyoid bone is not directly connected to other bones.
Q: How is the hyoid bone connected to other structures?
A: The hyoid bone is connected only to muscles and ligaments.
Q: What is the function of the hyoid bone?
A: The hyoid bone aids in tongue movement and swallowing. It also provides attachment to the muscles of the floor of the mouth and the tongue above, the larynx below, and the epiglottis and pharynx behind.
Q: What are the muscles attached to the hyoid bone?
A: The hyoid bone provides attachment to the muscles of the floor of the mouth and the tongue above, the larynx below, and the epiglottis and pharynx behind.
Q: How does the hyoid bone aid in swallowing?
A: The hyoid bone moves upward and forward during swallowing, which helps to lift the larynx and close off the opening to the trachea, preventing food or liquid from entering the airways.
