Intrinsic Laryngeal Muscles
Extrinsic Laryngeal Muscles
You're Getting on My Nerve Supply
Clinical Connections
Muscles in Actions
100

This is the only muscle that abducts the vocal folds.

What is the posterior cricoarytenoid?

100

These muscles elevate the hyoid bone and larynx.

What are the suprahyoid muscles?

100

The most intrinsic laryngeal muscles are innervated by this branch of the vagus nerve.

What is the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN)?

100

This condition occurs when one or both vocal folds cannot move due to nerve damage.


What is vocal fold paralysis?

100

This intrinsic muscle rotates the arytenoid cartilages laterally, opening the glottis.


What is the posterior cricoarytenoid?

200

These paired muscles adduct the vocal folds by rotating the arytenoids medially.

What are the lateral cricoarytenoids?

200

This muscle has two bellies. One is innervated by CN V and the other by CN VII.

What is the digastric muscle?

200

These muscles are innervated by RLN of X.

What are the interarytenoids (transverse, oblique, cricoarytenoid (lateral, posterior) thyroarytenoids (thyrovocalis, thyromuscularis)?

200

This vocal folds close during inspiration instead of opening.

What is paradoxical vocal fold movement?

200

This happens when the cricothyroid muscles contract.

What is the vocal folds lengthening and the pitch increases?

300

This fan-shaped tensor muscle between the cricoid and thyroid cartilages lengthens and thins the vocal folds to increase pitch.

What is the cricothyroid?

300

This flat muscle forms the floor of the oral cavity and is innervated by the trigeminal nerve.

What is the mylohyoid?

300

The anterior belly of the digastric muscle is innervated by this cranial nerve.

What is CN V (trigeminal)?

300

Damage to the suprahyoid muscles can impair this crucial swallowing movement.

What is hyolaryngeal elevation?

300

These muscles are responsible for adducting the vocal folds by bringing the arytenoids together.

What are the transverse and oblique interarytenoids?

400

This medial portion of the thyroarytenoid helps fine-tune vocal fold tension with the cricothyroid muscle.

What is the thyrovocalis?

400

These strap-like neck muscles depress the hyoid and larynx.

What are the infrahyoid muscles?

400

The geniohyoid is innervated by fibers from this spinal nerve and cranial nerve.

What are C1 and CN XII (hypoglossal)?

400

Vocal fold paralysis is caused by this.

What is nerve damage to UMN or LMN?

400

The aryepiglotticus and thyroepiglotticus muscles both assist in moving this laryngeal structure.

What is the epiglottis?

500

These two muscles run between the arytenoids.


What are the transverse and oblique interarytenoids?

500

This infrahyoid muscle can either lower the hyoid or elevate the thyroid cartilage.

What is the thyrohyoid?

500

This is the only intrinsic muscle innervated by the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (SLN).

What is the cricothyroid?

500

This is a congenital anomaly of larynx.

What is Laryngeal or laryngotraheal cleft?

500

This infrahyoid muscle lowers the thyroid cartilage toward the sternum.

What is the sternothyroid?