hyoid bone
Sign in to savehorseshoe-shaped bone situated in the anterior midline of the neck between the chin and the thyroid cartilage
AI overview
The hyoid bone is a small, horseshoe-shaped bone located in the front of your neck between your chin and thyroid cartilage. It plays an important role in supporting the tongue and helping with swallowing and speech.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
The hyoid bone (/ˈhaɪɔɪd/ HY-oyd), also known as the lingual bone or the tongue-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 between the base of the mandible and the third cervical vertebra.
Unlike other bones, the hyoid is only distantly articulated to other bones by muscles or ligaments. It is the only bone in the human body that is not connected to any other bones. The hyoid is anchored by muscles from the anterior, posterior and inferior directions, and aids in tongue movement and swallowing. 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.