Hyoid Bone (Cross Section Larynx), Lateral View

Description

Positioned superior to the thyroid cartilage, the hyoid bone is rendered in lateral profile, with its body curving anteriorly and the greater cornu projecting posteriorly toward the level of the pharynx. A smaller lesser cornu arises near the junction of the body and greater horn, providing an attachment point for the stylohyoid ligament. Immediately inferior, the superior border of the thyroid cartilage approaches the hyoid across the thyrohyoid membrane, while the leaf shaped epiglottis ascends posterior to the hyoid and anterior to the laryngeal inlet. Inferiorly, the cricoid cartilage forms the basal ring of the laryngeal framework. This relationship matters in airway and swallowing mechanics because the hyoid and larynx elevate as a functional unit during deglutition, helping the epiglottis invert and protecting the glottis from aspiration. It also underpins common operative corridors: in open or percutaneous tracheostomy, the hyoid and thyroid cartilage define the superior limit of safe dissection, while anterior neck trauma can displace the hyoid and disrupt the thyrohyoid membrane. Small distances. High stakes. Use this lateral cross sectional anatomy to teach laryngeal suspension and hyolaryngeal excursion in head and neck anatomy, speech language pathology, and otolaryngology training, or to illustrate surgical landmarks for supraglottic procedures and emergency airway algorithms in clinical guidelines and textbooks. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.