Hyoid Bone, Lateral View

Description

Positioned in the anterior neck, the hyoid bone is presented in lateral profile with the body (corpus ossis hyoidei) lying anterior to the pharyngeal airway and superior to the thyroid cartilage. The greater horn (cornu majus) projects posteriorly and slightly superiorly from the body, while the lesser horn (cornu minus) rises as a smaller conical process at the junction of body and greater horn, separated by a clear angular divergence. Inferior to the hyoid, the laryngeal framework is suggested, with the epiglottis superiorly and the thyroid and cricoid cartilages forming the anterior wall of the airway above the tracheal rings. Clean landmarks. Surgeons and anatomists use the hyoid as a fixed reference for the suprahyoid and infrahyoid muscular slings that couple mandibular depression and swallowing to laryngeal elevation. A lateral rendering highlights the posterior sweep of the greater cornu, the segment most often palpated clinically and a frequent landmark in open and endoscopic approaches to the upper airway. That relationship matters in suspected hyoid fracture after strangulation or blunt trauma, and in planning suspension laryngoscopy, where hyoid position and thyrohyoid membrane tension influence exposure of the supraglottis. Ideal for head and neck anatomy teaching when introducing the pharyngeal phase of deglutition, the thyrohyoid region, and the spatial logic behind the epiglottic tilt over the laryngeal inlet. It also suits otolaryngology texts and forensic medicine materials that require a clear, laterally oriented bony landmark adjacent to the larynx and proximal trachea. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.