What is Hyoid?
The '''hyoid''' is a [[horseshoe]]-shaped [[bone]] in the front of the [[neck]]. between the [[chin]] and the [[thyroid]] cartilage ([[Adam's apple]]). At rest, it lies at the level of the [[mandible]] in the front and the third [[cervical vertebra]] behind. Unlike other bones, the hyoid is not directly connected to other bones. It is connected only to muscles and [[ligament]]s. The hyoid aids in [[tongue]] movement and swallowing. The hyoid bone provides attachment to the muscles of the floor of the mouth and the tongue above, the [[larynx]] below, and the [[epiglottis]] and [[pharynx]] behind. ==Fracture and applied anatomy == Due to its position, the hyoid bone does not fracture easily. In a suspected case of [[murder]], a fractured hyoid strongly indicates [[throttling]] or [[wikt:strangle|strangulation]] However, this is not the case in children and adolescents, because their hyoid bone is still flexible as ossification is yet to be completed. [[Category:Bones]] [[Category:Neck]]