Larynx Flashcards
The ______ is a hollow musculoligamentous structure with a cartilaginous framework that caps the lower respiratory tract.
larynx
The ______ is continuous below with the trachea, and above opens into the pharynx immediately posterior and slightly inferior to the tongue and the posterior opening (______) of the oral cavity.
cavity of the larynx, oropharyngeal isthmus
The ______ is both a valve (or sphincter) to close the lower respiratory tract, and an instrument to produce sound.
larynx
The larynx is composed of:
• three large unpaired cartilages (______, ______, and ______),
• three pairs of smaller cartilages (______, ______, and ______), and
• a ______ membrane and numerous ______ muscles.
cricoid, thyroid, epiglottis, arytenoid, corniculate, cuneiform, fibro-elastic, intrinsic
The ______ is suspended from the hyoid bone above and attached to the trachea below by membranes and ligaments.
larynx
The ______ is highly mobile in the neck and can be moved up and down and forward and backward by the action of extrinsic muscles that attach either to itself or to the hyoid bone.
larynx
During swallowing, the dramatic upward and forward movements of the larynx facilitate closing the ______ and opening the ______.
laryngeal inlet, esophagus
Motor and sensory innervation of the larynx is provided by the ______.
vagus nerve [X]
What are the laryngeal cartilages?
Cricoid cartilage, Thyroid cartilage, Epiglottis, Arytenoid cartilages
The ______ is the most inferior of the laryngeal cartilages and completely encircles the airway.
cricoid cartilage
The cricoid cartilage is shaped like a signet ring with a broad ______ of cricoid cartilage posterior to the airway and a much narrower ______ of cricoid cartilage circling anteriorly.
lamina, arch
The posterior surface of the lamina of cricoid cartilage is characterized by two shallow oval depressions separated by a ______. The ______ is attached to the ridge and the depressions are for attachment of the ______ muscles.
vertical ridge, esophagus, posterior cricoarytenoid
The cricoid cartilage has two articular facets on each side for articulation with other laryngeal cartilages:
• One facet is on the sloping ______ of the lamina and articulates with the base of an ______.
• The other facet is on the ______ of the lamina near its base and is for articulation with the medial surface of the ______ of the ______.
superolateral surface, arytenoid cartilage, lateral surface, inferior horn, thyroid cartilage
The ______ is the largest of the laryngeal cartilages.
thyroid cartilage
The ______ is formed by a right and a left lamina, which are widely separated posteriorly, but converge and join anteriorly. The most superior point of the site of fusion between the two broad flat laminae projects forward as the ______ (______).
The angle between the two laminae is more acute in men (______) than in women (______) so the ______ is more apparent in men than women.
thyroid cartilage, laryngeal prominence, Adam’s apple, 90°, 120°, laryngeal prominence
Just superior to the laryngeal prominence, the ______ separates the two laminae as they diverge laterally. Both the ______ and the ______ are palpable landmarks in the neck. There is a less distinct ______ in the midline along the base of the thyroid cartilage.
superior thyroid notch, superior thyroid notch, laryngeal prominence, inferior thyroid notch
The posterior margin of each lamina of the thyroid cartilage is elongated to form a ______ and an ______:
• The medial surface of the ______ has a facet for articulation with the cricoid cartilage.
• The ______ is connected by a ______ ligament to the posterior end of the greater horn of the hyoid bone.
superior horn, inferior horn, inferior horn, superior horn, lateral thyrohyoid
The lateral surface of each thyroid lamina is marked by a ridge (the ______), which curves anteriorly from the base of the superior horn to a little short of midway along the inferior margin of the lamina.
oblique line
The ends of the oblique line are expanded to form ______ and ______ tubercles. The oblique line is a site of attachment for the extrinsic muscles of the larynx (______, ______, and ______).
superior, inferior thyroid, sternothyroid, thyrohyoid, inferior constrictor
The ______ is a leaf-shaped cartilage attached by its stem to the posterior aspect of the thyroid cartilage at the angle and projects posterosuperiorly from its attachment to the thyroid cartilage. The attachment is via the ______ ligament in the midline approximately midway between the laryngeal prominence and the inferior thyroid notch.
epiglottis, thyro-epiglottic
The upper margin of the epiglottis is behind the ______ part of the tongue.
pharyngeal
The inferior half of the posterior surface of the epiglottis is raised slightly to form an ______.
epiglottic tubercle
The two _______ are pyramid-shaped cartilages with three surfaces, a ______ and an ______.
arytenoid cartilages, base of arytenoid cartilage, apex of arytenoid cartilage
The two arytenoid cartilages are pyramid-shaped cartilages with three surfaces, a base of arytenoid cartilage and an apex of arytenoid cartilage:
• The base is ______ and articulates with the sloping ______ on the superolateral surface of the lamina of cricoid cartilage.
• The apex articulates with a ______.
• The ______ of each cartilage faces the other.
• The anterolateral surface has two depressions, separated by a ridge, for muscle (______) and ligament (______) attachment.
• The posterior surface is covered by the transverse ______ muscle.
The anterior angle of the base is elongated into a ______ to which the vocal ligament is attached. The lateral angle is similarly elongated into a muscular process for attachment of the posterior and lateral crico-arytenoid muscles.
concave, articular facet, corniculate cartilage, medial surface, vocalis, vestibular ligament, arytenoid, vocal process
The ______ are two small conical cartilages whose bases articulate with the apices of the arytenoid cartilages. Their apices project posteromedially toward each other.
corniculate cartilages
These two small club-shaped cartilages (______) lie anterior to the corniculate cartilages and are suspended in the part of the fibro-elastic membrane of the larynx that attaches the arytenoid cartilages to the lateral margin of the epiglottis.
Cuneiform
What are the extrinsic ligaments?
Thyrohyoid membrane, Hyo-epiglottic ligament, Cricotracheal ligament
The ______ is a tough fibro-elastic ligament that spans between the superior margin of the thyroid cartilage below and the hyoid bone above. It is attached to the superior margin of the thyroid laminae and adjacent anterior margins of the superior horns, and ascends medial to the greater horns and posterior to the body of the hyoid bone to attach to the superior margins of these structures.
thyrohyoid membrane
An aperture in the lateral part of the thyrohyoid membrane on each side is for the ______, the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve, and lymphatics.
superior laryngeal artery
The posterior borders of the thyrohyoid membrane are thickened to form the ______ ligaments. The membrane is also thickened anteriorly in the midline to form the ______ ligament.
lateral thyrohyoid, median thyrohyoid
Occasionally, there is a small cartilage (______) in each lateral thyrohyoid ligament.
triticeal cartilage
The ______ ligament extends from the midline of the epiglottis, anterosuperiorly to the body of the hyoid bone.
hyo-epiglottic
The ______ ligament runs from the lower border of the cricoid cartilage to the adjacent upper border of the first tracheal cartilage.
cricotracheal
What are the intrinsic ligaments?
Fibro-elastic membrane of the larynx, Conus elasticus (cricovocal membrane), Quadrangular membrane
The ______ membrane of the larynx links together the laryngeal cartilages and completes the architectural framework of the laryngeal cavity. It is composed of two parts — a ______ and an ______ membrane.
fibro-elastic, lower conus elasticus, upper quadrangular
The ______ is attached to the arch of cricoid cartilage and extends superiorly to end in a free upper margin within the space enclosed by the thyroid cartilage. On each side, this upper free margin attaches:
• anteriorly to the ______, and
• posteriorly to the vocal processes of the ______.
conus elasticus, thyroid cartilage, arytenoid cartilages
(conus elasticus)
The free margin between these two points of attachment is thickened to form the ______, which is under the ______ (______) of the larynx.
vocal ligament, true vocal cord
The conus elasticus is also thickened anteriorly in the midline to form a distinct ______, which spans the distance between the arch of cricoid cartilage and the inferior thyroid notch and adjacent deep surface of the thyroid cartilage up to the attachment of the vocal ligaments.
median cricothyroid ligament
In emergency situations, when the airway is blocked above the level of the vocal folds, the ______ can be perforated to establish an airway. Except for small vessels and the occasional presence of a pyramidal lobe of the thyroid gland, normally there are few structures between the ______ and skin.
median cricothyroid ligament, median cricothyroid ligament
The ______ membrane on each side runs between the lateral margin of the epiglottis and the anterolateral surface of the arytenoid cartilage on the same side. It is also attached to the corniculate cartilage, which articulates with the apex of arytenoid cartilage.
quadrangular
Each quadrangular membrane has a free upper margin, between the top of the epiglottis and the corniculate carti-lage, and a free lower margin. The free lower margin is thickened to form the ______ under the ______ (______) of the larynx.
vestibular ligament, vestibular fold, false vocal cord
The ______ ligament is attached posteriorly to the superior depression on the anterolateral surface of the arytenoid cartilage and anteriorly to the thyroid angle just superior to the attachment of the vocal ligament.
vestibular
On each side, the vestibular ligament of the quadrangular membrane is separated from the vocal ligament of the cricothyroid ligament below by a ______.
gap
Because the vestibular ligament attaches to the anterolateral surface of the arytenoid cartilage and the vocal ligament attaches to the vocal process of the same cartilage, the vestibular ligament is lateral to the ______ when viewed from above.
vocal ligament