Nonpawit Buathong; Chanisara Chanatepaporn; Chawakron Chookhampaeng; Natcha Kanjanavajee; Nutchapon Pamornrattapong; Thitipan Khowtanapanich; Chanasorn Poodendaen; Suthat Duangchit; Sitthichai Iamsaard
he styloid process connects to the lesser horn of the hyoid bone via the stylohyoid ligament, playing a role in controlling vocal muscles. However, the relationship between the lengths of these bones has not been studied before. Additionally, the weight of the hyoid bone has been found useful in forensic anthropology. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the lengths of the styloid process and the lesser horn of the hyoid bone and to explore using the hyoid bone weight for determining sex in the Northeastern Thai population. The study used 80 complete dry skeletons from the Unit of Human Bone Warehouse for Research, Khon Kaen University. The lengths of the bones were measured using a digital vernier caliper, and the hyoid bones were weighed using a digital scale. The data were analyzed for length relationships and sex differences. Results showed that no relationship was found between the lengths of the styloid process and the lesser horn of the hyoid bone in both sexes. The weight of the hyoid bone can help estimate sex, as males have significantly heavier hyoid bones than females. The hyoid bone weight in males tends to decrease significantly with age. In conclusion, while the styloid process and the lesser horn of the hyoid bone are connected, there is no relationship between their lengths. However, the weight of the hyoid bone can be a useful parameter for basic sex determination in forensic science for the Northeastern Thai population.
KEY WORDS: Styloid process; Hyoid bone; Lesser horn; Sex determination.
BUATHONG, N; CHANATEPAPORN, C.; CHOOKHAMPAENG, C.; KANJANAVAJEE, N.; PAMORNRATTAPONG, N.; KHOWTANAPANICH, T.; POODENDAEN, C.; DUANGCHIT, S. & IAMSAARD, S. Relationship between styloid process and lesser horn of hyoid bone lengths, and sex determination using hyoid bone weight in a Thai population. Int. J. Morphol., 43(4):194- 1300, 2025.
