The hyoid bone is a horseshoe-shaped bone of the axial skeleton that does not articulate directly with any other bone, remaining suspended by neck muscles and ligaments.
Serves as a movable muscular anchor for the tongue, floor of the mouth, pharynx, and larynx, elevating the airway during swallowing (deglutition) and aiding speech.
Anterior midline of the neck at the level of the C3 vertebra, situated between the mandible superiorly and the thyroid cartilage of the larynx inferiorly.
Jump directly to connected anatomical structures to compare their locations, functions, and 3D relationships.
Skeletal muscles attach across bones and joints; when muscles contract, they pull on bony landmarks to produce movement and maintain posture.
Cartilage, ligaments, and joint capsules connect bones to one another, stabilize joints, and distribute mechanical loads across the skeleton.
The cranial vault and vertebral column form a protective bony enclosure around the brain and spinal cord.