Hyoid Bone

Hossein Khorrami, Ph.D. DOMP

 Hyoid

1. Body of the Axis (C2)

2. Intervertebral disc
3. Greater cornu(horn) of
the Hyoid
4. Lesser cornu of the Hyoid
5. First rib
6. Maxilla with Molar tooth
7. Lesser cornu of the Hyoid
8. Median ridge of the Hyoid
9. Body of the Hyoid

*hyoid has no articulation with other bones

**Cricothyrotomy procedure
Hyoid, Connection of Skeleton to Viscera
 Hyoid, Functions
• Anchor of structures for tongue
• Swallowing
• Mastication
• Voice production
• Breathing
– Important in obstructive sleep apnea
 Digastric Muscle
• Stretches between the mastoid process of the cranium
to the mandible at the chin, and part-way between, it
becomes a tendon which passes through a tendinous
pulley attached to the hyoid bone

• Its attachment to the mastoid process makes it a TMJ

muscle along with the SCMs, masseters, temporalis,
and the pterygoids

• When treating TMJ dysfunction (TMJD), the digastric,

which helps open the mouth, must be considered as an
antagonist to the masseters, temporalis and medial
pterygoid, but an agonist to the lateral pterygoid
Pterygoid Muscles
 Tongue
• The tongue is a central muscular organ used in
chewing, sucking, swallowing, breathing,
speaking and tasting, and it is covered in
mucous membrane
 Important
• No other animal has a larynx low enough to
produce sounds as complex as our ancient
ancestors did and as we do today, including
our close relatives the chimpanzees, whose
hyoid bone sits just a smidge too high to do
anything but hoot and grunt
 As Gyroscope
• The hyoid muscles are located above the hyoid
(suprahyoid) and below the hyoid (infrahyoid)
• The hyoid is the only bone in the body not attached to
another bone
• As it floats "freely", it acts like a gyroscope, affecting all
movement planes of motion
• Thus many global movement pattern issues may have
their origin as the hyoid
• The hyoid being displaced laterally (think intubation)
may affect the muscles of the frontal plane
• The hyoid is also involved in anterior neck stability, and
its muscles can be injured in a whiplash
• Since some attach to the TMJ, jaw problems may occur
post whiplash
• Origin: upper border of the scapula medial to the scapular notch
• intermediate tendon, It runs superomedially underneath the
SCM muscle
• Insertion: Inferior belly: Intermediate tendon, anchored to the
clavicle by the deep cervical fascia
• Superior belly: Lower border of the hyoid bone lateral to the
sternohyoid insertion

Omohyoid M.
 Omohyoid muscle
• Runs from the hyoid to the Scapula, going behind the
SCM and underneath the upper trapezius
• Its scapular attachment is of some importance as it is in
the suprascapular notch, where the suprascapular
nerve passes
• Any shoulder instability may cause the omohyoid to go
into action, and the resultant tightness from
overworking may impinge the suprascapular nerve
• That nerve innervates the rotator cuff and back of the
shoulder
• So swallowing difficulties and shoulder pain consider
the omohyoid
Suprascapular nerve
• In human infants, the larynx sits up high in the
nasal cavity like a snorkel, so babies can drink
and breathe at the same time
• Around three months of age, the larynx
"drops" much lower in the throat, making
choking easier but speech possible
 Eagle syndrome
• When the skull’s styloid process, the pointy
bone below the ear becomes elongated in a
manner that pushes against a nerve or blood
vessel, it can result in Eagle syndrome
• Common symptoms include potentially severe
pain in the face, throat, and neck
• Various factors are thought to cause Eagle
syndrome, ranging from trauma, genetic
predisposition, and complications from
surgery in a nearby region, among others
• It should also be noted that sometimes Eagle
syndrome results from calcification of the
ligament attached to the styloid process or an
abnormally angled styloid process
• The skull’s styloid process is the anchor bone where some
muscles of the tongue and larynx
• A healthy styloid process can move freely and do its job
without disturbing any critical structures or tissues
• However, an elongated styloid process (or calcified or
abnormally angled styloid process) could start pushing into
nearby structures, such as nerves and blood vessels

• There are several nerves near the skull’s styloid process,

including the glossopharyngeal nerve (travels through neck,
part of tongue and middle ear), vagus nerve (long nerve,
including traveling through the neck and into the face),
hypoglossal nerve (travels to tongue), and facial nerves