Anatomy

Question 1

Tell me about the Foramina of the Skull and what they carry!

Answer 1

The jugular foramen allows the following to exit the skull:

Internal jugular vein
Vagus nerve
Glossopharyngeal nerve, and
Accessory nerve.
The vertebral arteries enter the skull vault through the foramen magnum.

The middle meningeal artery is transmitted through the foramen spinosum.

The carotid canal transmits the carotid artery and sympathetic fibres.

The hypoglossal nerve travels through the hypoglossal canal.

Question 2

Anatomy of the vocal cords

Answer 2

The rima glottidis is the space between the true vocal cords and the ventricle of the larynx is the fossa between the true and false cords. The part between the inlet and the false vocal cords is the vestibule.

All of the intrinsic muscles of the larynx are supplied by the recurrent laryngeal nerves, except the cricothyroid which is supplied by the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (not internal branch).

Regarding the intrinsic muscles of the larynx:

The posterior cricoarytenoids abduct the cords
The lateral cricoarytenoids and interarytenoids adduct the cords
The sphincters to the vestibule are the aryepiglottics and the thyroepiglottics.
Vocal cord tension is regulated by the

Cricothyroids (tensors)
Thyroarytenoids (relaxors) and the
Vocales (fine adjustments).