Os hyoideum
The locating of the hyoid bone in anatomy atlases and textbooks may be misleading, as it is usually reviewed together with the bones of the skull. The reason for that lies in the legacy anatomy nomenclature preserved up to the end of the XX century1, allocating hyoid bone as part of the viscerocranium2. Strictly speaking, the hyoid bone is not the structural part of the skull but rather is an integral part of the larynx (just like sesamoid bones are an integral part of the muscle's tendon). However, the most recent anatomical terminology review3 allocates the hyoid bone and mandible separately from the skull's bones in the chapter defined as "the extracranial bones of the head."
An alternative name for the hyoid bone is the lingual bone, as many tongue muscles attach to it.
The list of terms:
Corpus ossis hyoidei – Body of hyoid boneCornua majora ossis hyoidei – Greater horns of hyoid bone
Cornua minora ossis hyoidei – Lesser horns of hyoid bone
Due to the fine horseshoe shape, the hyoid looks fragile. However, the isolated hyoid fracture is very rare and occurs in less than 1% of all fractures1. The reason for that is the high mobility of the bone and the secure localization just under the mandible. Nevertheless, the fracture is quite common in victims of manual strangulation, with an incidence of up to 50%2.
The image demonstrates the cartilage separating the wings of the hyoid from its body. The age at which the complete ossification of the hyoid bone occurs is very variable. The incomplete fusion of ossification centers depicted here is the most commonly observed anatomical variant for the adult male of the age below 40*.
The list of terms:
Corpus ossis hyoidei – Body of hyoidCornu majus ossis hyoidei – Greater horn of hyoid bone
Cornu minus ossis hyoidei – Lesser horn of hyoid bone