Mandible

Looks like

The horseshoe-shaped lower jaw, the only freely moving bone of the skull, hinged in front of each ear.

What it does

Holds the lower teeth and moves for chewing, speech and yawning.

Keeping it well

Mouthguards in contact sport; teeth that no longer meet after a blow suggest a fracture. Jaw bone that stays exposed after an extraction while on bone drugs needs review.

Related conditions

• Achondroplasia
• Acromegaly
• Brain abscess
• Dental abscess
• Fractures
• Fragility fracture
• Frailty & falls in older age
• Hyperparathyroidism
• Impacted wisdom teeth
• Osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease)
• Osteomalacia & rickets
• Osteomyelitis (bone infection)
• Osteoporosis
• Paget's disease of bone
• Sarcoma
• Traumatic brain injury (moderate to severe)
• Vitamin B1, C and other deficiencies
• Vitamin D deficiency