Thehyoidbone is a small horseshoe-shaped bone located in the front of your neck.
Although it is small, the hyoid bone is only rarelyfractured.
This is due to its location, which generally protects the bone from all but direct trauma.
The hyoid bone is unique due to its placement in the body.
Unlike other bones, it is not directly attached to any surrounding bones, only muscles.
The hyoid bone provides a place of attachment for several anterior (front) neck muscles.
This action is called palpating the hyoid bone.
While not technically a part of the larynx, at the top, the two structures are very close.
The hyoid provides an attachment site for muscles that control movements of the larynx.
Perhaps the most well-known example of this is when food “goes down the wrong pipe.”
Remember, the windpipe is built for air, not things.
The larynx is also responsible for coughing, which is part of the choking protection mechanism function mentioned above.
If that occurs, working with a specialist like a speech pathologist may be useful.
It is attached to cartilage that protects the larynx and serves as an attachment site for several neck muscles.
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