Head: Larynx Flashcards
Larynx (voice box) function
- Voice production
- Separate food and air
- Guard air passage, maintain patent airway
Cartilages of the larynx
- 9 total
- 3 unpaired
- 3 paired
3 unpaired cartilages of the larynx
- Thyroid
- Cricoid
- Epiglottic
3 paired cartilages of the larynx
- Arytenoid
- Corniculate
- Cuneiform
Thyroid cartilage located at vertebral level
- C4,5
Thyroid cartilage lamina form
- Laryngeal prominence anteriorly (“Adam’s apple”)
- Superior horns
Inferior horns of thyroid cartilage form
- Cricothyroid joint: rotation and gliding movements
Cricoid Cartilage
- Vertebral level C6
- Lamina & arch
Epiglottic cartilage
- Elastic cartilage
- Located at laryngeal inlet
- Thyro-epiglottic and hyo-epiglottic ligaments
Arytenoid cartilages
- Pyramid shaped
- Vocal process
- Muscular process
- Cricoarytenoid joint
Cricoarytenoid joint
allows movement of
- Arytenoid cartilages
Arytenoid cartilages apex attaches to
- Corniculate cartilage
Laryngeal membranes/ligaments
- Thyrohyoid membrane
- Cricothyroid membrane (median and lateral)
- Quadrangular membrane
Thyrohyoid membrane
- Connects thyroid cartilage and hyoid bone
- Pierced by superior laryngeal vessels and internal laryngeal nerve
Median cricothyroid membrane
- Connects cricoid and thyroid cartilages anteriorly
Lateral cricothyroid membrane (conus elasticus)
- Connects cricoid cartilage with thyroid and arytenoid cartilages
- Free superior border forms the vocal ligament
Vocal ligament
- Sound production
- Vocal ligament covered in mucosa: vocal fold
Quadrangular membrane
- Extends between lateral parts of epiglottic and arytenoid cartilages
- Inferior free margin is the vestibular ligament
- The mucosa covered superior margin forms aryepiglottic fold
Vestibular ligament
- Vestibular ligament covered in mucosa: vestibular fold
- Little involvement in sound production
Aryepiglottic fold
- Contributes to lateral boundary of laryngeal inlet
- Corniculate and cuneiform cartilages are embedded within
Laryngeal cavity extends
- From laryngeal inlet (aditus) to cricoid cartilage
Laryngeal cavity contains
- Laryngeal vestibule
- Infraglottic space
- Laryngeal ventricle
- Laryngeal saccule