Larynx Flashcards by Paige Johnson

What vertebral body levels is the larynx located at?

C3-C6

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What is lateral to the larynx?

Carotid sheaths and thyroid glands

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3 functions of the larynx

Passage of air to the respiratory tract, Sphincter to close off RT during swallowing, produce phonation

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What is the major type of cartilage in the larynx?

Hyaline cartilage

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What bone is connected to the larynx by ligaments and membranes

Hyoid bone

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Largest laryngeal cartilage

Thyroid cartilage

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What is found directly above the laryngeal prominence?

Superior thryoid notch

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Projections off of the thyroid cartilage

Cornuas (superior and inferior)

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Ridge on the posterolateral sides of the laminae for the constrictor muscle attachments

Oblique line

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Only cartilage that completely encircles the airway

Cricoid cartilage

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Anterior portion of the cricoid cartilage

Arch

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What does the lamina of the cricoid cartilage articulate with?

Arytenoid cartilage

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Paired set of cartilages posterior to the larynx that sit atop the lamina of the cricoid

Arytenoid cartilage

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Posterolateral projection of the arytenoid cartilage

Muscular process

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Paired set of cartilages that sit atop of the apices of the arytenoid cartilages

Corniculate cartilages

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Attaches the epiglottic cartilage to the thyroid cartilage lamina

Inferior stalk

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Articulation of the inferior horns of the thyroid cartilage and lamina of the cricoid cart

Cricothyroid joints

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What happens when the thyroid cartilage tilts anteriorly at the joint?

Vocal cords are tensed

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What happens when the thyroid cartilage is tilted posteriorly?

Vocal cords are loosened

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Articulation of the arytenoid cartilages and the lamina of the cricoid cartilage

Cricoarytenoid joints

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Movement of the arytenoid cartilages

Slide tranversely/pivot on cricoid cartilage to abduct/adduct the vocal folds

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Extrinstic ligaments of the larynx

Thyrohyoid membrane, cricotracheal ligament, hyoepiglottic ligament

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Connects the superior border of the thyroid cartilage to the body and greater horns of the hyoid bone

Thyrohyoid membrane

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Thickening of thyrohyoid membrane on midline

Median thyrohyoid ligament

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Thickening of thyrohyoid membrane at the posterior edges

Lateral thyrohyoid ligaments

What passes thru the thyrohyoid membrane?

Superior laryngeal vessels and internal laryngeal nerve

Attaches inferior surface of cricoid cartilage to upper border of 1st tracheal ring

Cricotracheal ligament

Ligament from the anterior midline of the epiglottis to the body of the hyoid bone

Hyoepiglottic ligament

Intrinsic ligaments of the larynx

Thyroepiglottic ligament, conus elasticus, quadraangular ligament

Attaches stalk of epiglottic cartilage to thyroid cartilage

Thyroepiglottic ligament

Membrane from the superior surface of the cricoid cartilage that projects superomedially inside the thyroid cartilage

Conus elasticus

Forms the vocal ligaments

Conus elasticus

Thickened anterior portion of the conus elasticus

Median cricothyroid ligament

Thin submucosal connective tissue that supports the aryepiglottic fold

Quadrangular ligament

Superior margin of the quadrangular ligament

Aryepiglottic ligament

Inferior margin of the quadrangular ligament

Vestibular ligament

Where does the vestibular ligament attach?

Below the apex of the arytenoid cartilage to they thyroid cartilage, above the vocal ligament

Orientation of the laryngeal inlet

Obliquely between epiglottis and arytenoid cartilages, along the aryepiglottic fold

Space between the aryepiglottic folds

Vestibule

What is below the vestibule?

vestibular folds. Aka false vocal cords

Space between the vestibular folds

Rima vestibuli

Space between vestibular/vocal folds

Laryngeal ventricle

True vocal cords

Vocal fold

Space inferior to vocal folds but superior to trachea

Infraglottic space

Contents of the vocal folds

Vocal ligament, vocalis muscle, and mucosa

Opening between vocal folds

Rima glottidis

Action of posterior crioarytenoid muscle

Causes adduction of muscular processes, making arytenoid c. externally rotate, thus aBducting the vocal folds

Action of lateral crioarytenoid muscle

aBduction of muscular processes, making arytenoid c. internally rotate, aDducting the vocal folds

Action of transverse arytenoid muscle

aDduction of vocal folds via translation

Action of Oblique arytenoid muscle

Aids in aDduction of vocal folds via translation

Is the continuation of the oblique arytenoid in the aryepiglottic folds

Aryepiglottic muscle

Action of cricothyroid muscle

Acts via cricothyroid cartilage, causing thyroid cartilage to rotate anteriorly, thus stretching/tensing vocal folds (raises pitch of voice)

Action of thyroarytenoid muscle

Acts via cricoarytenoid joint, pulling arytenoid c. anteriorly, thus relaxing vocal folds (lowers pitch of voice)

Action of vocalis muscle

Fine tunes the tension on vocal folds. Is used in whispering

Acts as a sphincter for the auditus

Thyroepiglottic

Supplies blood to upper part of larynx

Superior laryngeal a. Typically a branch from superior thyroid a (off of ECA)

Blood supply to lower part of larynx

Inferior laryngeal a. Off of inferior thyroid a. (off of thyrocervical via subclavian)

Vessel that passes deep to inferior border of inferior pharyngeal constrictor/enters near cricothyroid joint

Inferior laryngeal a. Off of inferior thyroid a. (off of thyrocervical via subclavian)

Venous supply to larynx

Superior/inferior laryngeal vein( drains to respective thyroid vein then IJV)

Lymph in the supraglottic area

Superior deep cervical lymph nodes

Where does the infroglottic lymph drain to?

Pretracheal/paratracheal lymph nodes, then to inferior deep cervical lymph nodes

What provides sensory to larynx?

Vagus

Supplies the mucosa of the aditus to vocal cords

Internal laryngeal nerves via superior laryngeal nerve

Innervates mucosa below vocal cords

Recurrent laryngeal nerves

Innervates cricothyroid muscle

External laryngeal nerve

Innervates all muscles of larynx except cricothyroid

recurrent laryngeal nerves

When does the inferior laryngeal nerve arise?

Is the recurrent laryngeal nerve, then changes to inferior near the cricothyroid joint

Internal laryngeal nerve damage

Desensitiation of superior larynx, dif swallowing/chocking

External laryngeal nerve damage

Paralyzes cricothyroid muscle (can't tense vocal lig) so weak voice/lower pitch/monotone voice

Inferior laryngeal nerve damage

Vocal fold paralysis. Unilateral: can compensate. Bilaterally:no voice and diff breathing

Semon's law

aBuctors of vocal cords affected more than aDductors, so breathy/bedroom voice