Hyoepiglottic ligament

Hyoepiglottic ligament
Details
From anterior surface of the epiglottis
To upper border of the body of the hyoid bone
Latin Ligamentum hyoepiglotticum
Dorlands
/Elsevier
l_09/12492331

Anatomical terminology

The hyoepiglottic ligament is an elastic band connecting the anterior surface of the epiglottis to the upper border of the body of the hyoid bone. It is clinically important in performing direct laryngoscopy with a Macintosh laryngoscope blade; the blade tip is placed in the vallecula and moved anteriorly, which causes the hyoepiglottic ligament to pull the epiglottis anteriorly as well and thus expose the glottis.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)



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