This is a study bases on CT films of Head and Neck of 120 Egyptian healthy individuals showing age and sex differences of hyoid bone.
The hyoid bone is located in front of the cervical spine (the bones of the neck). It is located at the level of the 3rd cervical vertebra. It attaches by means of ligaments , to a projection of bone called the styloid process , which extends from the temporal bone. The hyoid bone is firmly secured to the thyroid cartilage . the hyoid bone consists of a central body and pairs of lesser and greater cornua. Fusion of the greater cornua with the body normally occurs in adulthood, but may not occur at all in some individuals. Even though the hyoid bone is an important structure, it has not received the attention that it deserves. It participates in the function of speech, respiration, mastication, and swallowing, as well as maintaining the patency of the airway between the oropharynx and the tracheal rings. Sexing unknown skeletal remains is a priority in recognizing their identity. Since early 1900s that sex determination by using hyoid bone had been proposed , many studies have documented sex prediction potential of human hyoid .To estimate sex from hyoid bones, metric measurements have been used alone , or in combination with morphologic characteristics . The distance between the hyoid and mandible is increased with aging, and a more posterior position of the hyoid bone is correlated with swallowing defects in older males. These findings suggest that age-related changes in hyoid bone position may be a component of decreased swallowing safety and aspiration in older adults and warrant further investigation
Three-dimensional (3D) imaging has the combined advantages of manual measurement of bone and 2D imaging and permits assessment of hyoid bone shape and dimensions as well as its growth relative to other structures during the course of development. Computed tomography (CT) scans are effective.