Anatomy of Larynx

Dr. Prashant Yarlagadda

Function

Sphincter at inlet of air passages. Organ of Phonation.

Location
Extent
Tongue Trachea.

Projects ventrally between great vessels of neck. Anterior coverings

Skin Fasciae Hyoid depressor muscles

Opposite to C3 C6 vertebrae (adult male)

General features
Opens into
Above Laryngopharynx Below Trachea

Mobile on deglution

Size
Same in males and females till puberty. Enlarges considerably in males after puberty. Male Female
Thyroid cartilage grows till 36 mm years. age 40 Length 44 mm Transverse 43 mm 41 mm Sagittal 36 mm 26 mm

Surface anatomy
C3 C3 C4 junction C4 C5 junction C6 Body of hyoid Upper border of thyroid cartilage Thyroid cartilage Cricoid cartilage

Cartilages
Unpaired Cricoid Thyroid Epiglottic Paired Arytenoid Cuneiform Corniculate Tritiate

Cartilages
Hyaline cartilage Thyroid Cricoid Most of arytenoid Elastic fibro-cartilage Corniculate Cuneiform Tritiate Epiglottic Apex of arytenoid

Hyaline cartilage calcify with age. Elastic cartilage do not calcify with age.

Cartilages

Thyroid cartilage
Largest laryngeal cartilage Two quadrilateral laminae Anterior borders fused Posterior borders diverge Prolonged horns Superior cornu Inferior cornu

Thyroid Cartilage
Laminae Internal surface smooth Covered by mucosa Attachments to angle of laminae Ligaments Thyro-epiglottic Vestibular Vocal Muscles Thyro-arytenoid Thyro-epiglottic Vocalis

Thyroid cartilage
Laminae
Superior border
Thyro-hyoid membrane

Angle between laminae

Men - 90 Women - 120

Shallower angle
Larger laryngeal prominenece Lengthier vocal cords Deeper pitch voice

Cricoid
Only ring shaped laryngeal cartilage Attahcments
Below
Trachea

Above
Thyroid cartilage Arytenoid cartilages

Parts
Anterior narrow curved arch Posterior broad flat lamina

Cricoid
Cricoid arch
Palpable below laryngeal prominence
Separated by depression Contains crico-vocal membrane

Cricoid
Cricoid lamina Junction of lamina and arch facet for inf. thyroid cornu Inferior border crico-tracheal ligament Superior border Anterio-laterally cricothyroid membrane. Postero-superior facet for arytenoid cartilage

Cricoid
Internal surface
smooth. lined by mucosa.

Epiglottis
Thin, leaf like Projects upwards behind tongue and hyoid Stalk attached to back of laryngeal prominence by thyro-epiglottic ligament

Epiglottis
Lateral attachments Ary-epiglottic folds Upper anterior surface Non-stratified keratinized squamous epithelium Reflections Post tongue Median glosso-epiglottic fold Post tongue and lateral pharyngeal wall Lateral glosso-epiglottic folds Depressions in between vallecula.

Epiglottis
Anterior space between epiglotts
Hyoid Thyroid cartilage Pre-epiglottic space Thyro-hyoid membrane (adipose tissue)

Posterior surface
Ciliated respiratory mucosa

Epiglottis
Function
Bent posteriorly during deglutition Food bolus splits and slips into pyriform fossae Not essential for swallowing
Minimal aspiration even if destroyed.

Articulate on supero-lateral portion of cricoid lamina. Pyramidal Surfaces three Posterior Muscular process Antero-Lateral Vestibular ligament Vocal process Medial Mucosa Lateral boundary of intercatilaginous part or rima glottidis

Arytenoid

Arytenoid
Processes two
Vocal
Antero-lateral surface Attachment - Vocalis

Muscular
Posterior surface Attachment Muscles

Base
Articulates - Cricoid

Apex
Articulates Corniculate

Corniculate
Conical nodules Articulate with
Arytenoid

Constitute
Posterior part of aryepiglottic folds.

Cuneiform
Located in Ary-epiglottic fold whitish elevation through mucosa Antero-superior to corniculate Elongated, club-like nodule