Airway anatomy

Question 1

Glossopharyngeal nerve

Answer 1

• Motor: None
• Sensory:
  
  • Posterior 1/3 of tongue
  • Epiglottis
  • Pharynx

Question 2

Vagus nerve - recurrent laryngeal nerve

Answer 2

• Motor: Larynx (expect cricothyroid)
• Sensory:
  
  • Larynx - mucosal surface
  • Trachea - mucosal surface

Question 3

Vagus nerve - internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve

Answer 3

• Motor: None
• Sensory:
  
  • Epiglottis (dorsal)
  • Vocal cords

Question 4

Vagus nerve - external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve

Answer 4

• Motor: Cricothyroid
• Sensory: None

Question 5

Cricothyroid muscle

Answer 5

• Innervation: External laryngeal nerve (from CN X)
• Main action(s): Stretches and tenses vocal ligament

Question 6

Thyro-arytenoid muscle

Answer 6

• Innervation: Recurrent larygneal nerve (from CN X)
• Main Action(s): Relaxes vocal ligament

Question 7

Posterior crico-arytenoid

Answer 7

• Innervation: Recurrent larygneal nerve (from CN X)
• Main Action(s): Abducts vocal folds

Question 8

Lateral crico-arytenoid

Answer 8

• Innervation: Recurrent laryngeal nerve (from CN X)
• Main Action(s): Adducts bocal folds (interligamentous portion)

Question 9

Transverse and oblique arytenoids

Answer 9

• Innervations: Recurrent laryngeal nerve (from CN X)
• Main Action(s): Adduct arytenoid cartilages (adducting intercartilaginous portion of vocal folds, closing posterior rima glottis)

Question 10

Vocalis

Answer 10

• Innervation: Recurrent laryngeal nerve
• Main Action(s): Relaxes posterior vocal ligament while maintaining (or increasing) tension of anterior part