Cricothyroid muscle

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Cricothyroid muscle
Muscles of larynx. Side view. Right lamina of thyroid cartilage removed.
Latin	musculus cricothyroideus
Gray's	subject #236 1081
Origin:	Anterior and Lateral Cricoid Cartilage
Insertion:	Inferior Cornu and Lamina of the Thyroid Cartilage
Artery:
Nerve:	external laryngeal branch of the vagus
Action:
Dorlands/Elsevier	m_22/12548712

The cricothyroid muscle attaches to the anterolateral aspect of the cricoid and the inferior cornu and lower lamina of the thyroid cartilage, tilting the thyroid forwards and tensing the vocal cords.

It's the only laryngeal muscle supplied by the external laryngeal nerve (rather than the recurrent laryngeal nerve).

Contents 1 Action 2 Innervation 3 Additional images 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Action

The Cricothyreoidei produce tension and elongation of the vocal folds by drawing up the arch of the cricoid cartilage and tilting back the upper border of its lamina; the distance between the vocal processes and the angle of the thyroid is thus increased, and the folds are consequently elongated.

[edit] Innervation

This muscle is innervated by the external laryngeal branch of the vagus nerve.

[edit] Additional images

The veins of the thyroid gland.

The fascia and middle thyroid veins.

Side view of the larynx, showing muscular attachments.

[edit] See also

• Cricothyroid ligament

[edit] External links

• GPnotebook -717946803
• Dictionary at eMedicine Cricothyroid+muscle