Why are cartilages horseshoe shaped

Search for:. The Hyoid Bone. The Hyoid Bone The hyoid, a horseshoe-shaped bone situated in the anterior of the neck, between chin and thyroid, aids tongue movement and swallowing. Learning Objectives Describe the hyoid bone. Key Takeaways Key Points The hyoid bone is a horseshoe shaped bone found in the neck. It functions to protect the essophagus and facilitates a wide range of movements involved in speaking and swallowing.

The hyoid bone is only distantly articulated to other bones by muscles or ligaments. The hyoid consists of a central part called the body, and two pairs of cornua: the greater cornu and the lesser cornu. Ossification begins in the greater cornua toward the end of fetal life, in the hyoid body shortly afterward, and in the lesser cornua during the first or second year after birth. Tracheal rings can also be associated with a condition in which the pulmonary artery the artery carrying blood from the right ventricle of the heart to the lungs wraps around the trachea and causes a narrowing of the opening.

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Complete Tracheal Rings. The tracheal cartilages help support the trachea while still allowing it to move and flex during breathing. There are generally sixteen to twenty individual cartilages in the trachea, which varies from person to person.

These C-shaped cartilages are stacked one on top of the other and are open at the area where the trachea is nearest the esophagus, which leads from the throat to the stomach. Each one is about one to two millimeters thick, with a depth of around four to five millimeters. The tracheal cartilages have an order, starting with the peculiar tracheal cartilages. These are the first and last rings in the trachea.

The first cartilage is broad and divided at the end. It sometimes blends in with the following cartilage, depending on the structure of the trachea.

The last cartilage is broad in the middle and thick, with a triangular shape for a lower border. This piece curves downward, extending into the two bronchi — the main passageways to the lungs — forming an imperfect circle that encloses each bronchus. When a person ages, the tracheal cartilages tend to calcify, or stiffen. Their normal state is one of elasticity.