Anatomy Of Larynx

FUNCTIONS
Phonation. Provide protective sphincter at the inlet of air passage. Increase the intrathoracic pressure.

EMBRYOLOGY

4th weekTracheobronchial diverticulum appears in the ventral wall of pharynx.

5th to 6th weekAretenoid swellings

Appear at both side of the diverticulum. Move medially and form a T shaped aperture.

8th week Laryngeal inlet occluded due to epithelial proliferation.

Recanalisation at 10 weeks.

Aretenoid swellings grow upwards to form aryepiglottic folds. Hypobronchial eminence forms epiglottis.

Thyroid cartilage develops from the cartilage of 4th pharyngeal arch. Cricoid cartilage and trachea from 6th arch.

Formation of vocal and vestibular folds is related to condensation of mesenchyme. Intrinsic laryngeal muscles develop from mesenchyme of 4th and 6th pharyngeal arch.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Extends from laryngeal inlet above to inferior border of Cricoid Cartilage. Lies opposite 3rd to 6th Cervical vertebrae.

Divided anatomically into

SUPRAGLOTTIS

GLOTTIS

SUBGLOTTIS

FRAMEWORK

Consists of hyoid bone and number of cartilages, connected by ligaments, membranes and intrinsic and extrinsic muscles.

HYOID BONE
U shaped Bone Provides upper attachment for most extrinsic muscles of

CARTILAGES
Thyroid Cartilage Cricoid Cartilage Aretenoid Cartilages Corniculate Cartilages Cunieform Cartilages

THYROID CARTILAGE
1.Thyroid notch 2.Thyroid Prominance 3.Thyroid Lamina 4.Superior Cornu 5.Inferior cornu

CRICOID CARTILAGE

Only Complete cartilaginous ring in the airway. Sloping shoulders on lamina on which are articular surfaces for aretenoids

ARYTENOID CARTILAGE
Pyramid shaped Two processes 1) Vocal process 2) Muscular process

CORNUCULATE AND CUNIEFORM CARTILAGES

Cornuculate cartilages are 2 small cartilages which articulate with apices of aretenoid cartilages. Cunieform cartilages are small fibroelastic cartilages situated in the margins of aryepiglottic fold.

EPIGLOTTIS

Thin leaflike fibroelastic cartilage . Anterior surface is reflected to pharyngeal part of tongue and on lateral wall of pharynx forming median glossoepiglottic fold and two lateral glossoepiglottic folds. Depression on each

LIGAMENTS

EXTRINSIC LIGAMENTSConnect the laryngeal cartilages to the hyoid bone above and the trachea below.

Thyrohyoid Membrane Median thyrohyoid ligament Cricotracheal Ligament

Intrinsic Ligaments Connect the cartilages of the larynx. Fibroelasticmembrane divided into upper and lower part by laryngeal membrane. Upper part is the quadrilangular membrane. Lower part is the cricovocal ligament.