Larynx Flashcards
What is the larynx?
Voice box at top of airway
What are the laryngeal cartilages?
Thyroid, cricoid, epiglottis, arytenoid, corniculate
What anchors vocal cords?
Corniculate cartilage
What is a cricothyroid joint?
- Cricoid rotates anterior and inferior
- Lengthens cords & increases their
tension
What is a cricoarytenoid joint?
*Rotation of arytenoids medial and
lateral
*Gliding towards are away from each
other
*Abducts or adducts the cords
What provides minor movements to the larynx?
Arytenocorniculate joints
What is contained within the thyrohyoid membrane?
Thyroid cartilage and hyoid bone
Internal laryngeal nerve, artery, and vein
What are the other membranes?
Quadrangular membrane, conus elasticus, hyoepiglottic ligament
What assists in the spread of cancer?
Hyoepiglottic ligament
What are the muscles of the larynx?
Cricoarytenoids, arytenoids, and cricothyroid muscle
What are the false vocal cords?
Vestibule, non-muscular
What are the true vocal cords?
Vocal folds; vestibular folds
Muscular! (vocalis + thyroarytenoid)
What are two other folds?
Rima glottis and rima vestibuli
Where can foreign bodies in airway get lodged?
Piriform sinus, valleculae, pharyngeal walls
All muscles are innervated by…
CN X (vagus)
Cricothyroid is innervated by vagus branch…
External laryngeal nerve
The rest of the muscles are innervated by…
Recurrent laryngeal nerve
Action of cricothyroid?
Increases tension on cords = increased pitch
Action of thyroarytenoid?
Decreases tension =
low pitch
Posterior cricoarytenoid action?
Opens rima glottis, abducts cords
Leftover muscles close…
Rima glottis
What is voiced sound?
The basic sound produced
by vocal fold vibration is called “voiced
sound.”
What is resonance?
Voiced sound is amplified
and modified by the vocal tract
resonators (the throat, mouth cavity, and nasal passages)
What is articulation?
The vocal tract articulators
(the tongue, soft palate, and lips) modify the voiced sound
What is not visible to the human eye?
Vocal cord vibration
What is the arterial support of the larynx?
Superior and inferior laryngeal artery
What is the venous drainage of larynx?
Superior laryngeal vein -> IJV
Inferior laryngeal vein -> thyroid venous plexus
What is the lymphatic drainage of the larynx?
*Supraglottic larynx Level II
*Can be bilateral
*Infraglottic larynx Level III,
Level IV & Level VI (pretracheal
and paratracheal)
What is the sensory innervation of valleculae?
Internal laryngeal nerve
What is the sensory innervation below cords?
Trachea is recurrent laryngeal nerve
Thorough analysis of cough reflex
*Afferent: recurrent or internal
laryngeal nerves
*Sensation of irritant
*Efferent: recurrent laryngeal nerve
*Closing and opening cords = cough
What are the travel buddies?
Superior thyroid artery -> external laryngeal nerve
Superior laryngeal artery -> internal laryngeal nerve
Inferior thyroid artery -> recurrent laryngeal nerve
What is injury to recurrent laryngeal nerve cause?
- Inability to abduct and adduct the cords
- Minor retained adduction
- Hoarseness of the voice
What is injury to superior laryngeal nerve cause?
*Cannot do high pitched voice – external
laryngeal nerve
*Likely singers will notice
*Aspiration risk – internal laryngeal nerve
*Diminished cough reflex
What is the purpose of the trachea? Where does it begin?
With first tracheal ring, under subglottic larynx
Carries oxygen to lungs
When do you do cricothyrotomy?
Emergent, temporary airway
Within cricothyroid membrane
What is at risk with cricothyrotomy?
Pyramidal lobe
When do you do a tracheostomy?
Emergent, longer lasting, within the trachea itself
