Morphological considerations of the human hyoid bone

This study combines the anthropological focus upon skeletal variation with the pathological interest in trauma to reveal the immense variation and complexity in laryngeal structures. Further, this study dispels the notion of a causal relationship between advancing age and fusion of the hyoid bone. Anthropological studies of hyoid anatomy are rare, primarily focusing upon correlating fusion with advancing age (see O'Halloran and Lundy, 1987) and secondly upon discerning aspects which contribute to hyoid fracture (see Pollanen et al., 1995; Pollanen and Chiasson, 1996; Pollanen and Ubelaker, 1997). These examinations fail to address the true morphological variability that characterizes the hyoid.