Cartilage

The two adjusting cartilages or arytenoid cartilages ( Latin: Cartilagines aryt (a) enoideae , Ez.Cartilago aryt (a) enoidea ) are parts of the larynx . They sit on the upper posterior articular surfaces of the cricoid cartilage ( cartilago cricoidea ). They have an upper tip ( apex ), as well as a front ( processus vocalis ) and laterally ( processus muscularis ) protruding part. In humans, the small tip cartilage ( cartilago corniculata ) rests on the tip of the adjusting cartilage . The vocal folds are attached to the front part . The lateral part is connected with muscles and ligaments.

The control cartilages play a major role in voice production, as not only their structure but also the movements they can perform are complex. A number of muscles are responsible for this.

On the one hand, the cartilages are connected to one another. These so-called intervertebral cartilage muscles are divided into the transverse muscle arytenoideus transversus and the paired, diagonal muscle arytenoideus obliquus . When these muscles contract, the cartilages move closer together. The vocal cords are adducted (that is, brought closer together). This is important for vocalization, as there can be no phonation without adducted vocal folds. Another adduction muscle is the lateral cricoarytenoideus muscle , which runs from the control cartilage to the cricoid cartilage side. The cricoarytenoideus posterior muscle is used for abduction, i.e. H. responsible for removing the vocal folds from each other. This is particularly important when inhaling.

literature

• Michael Schünke , Erik Schulte , Udo Schumacher : Prometheus. Anatomy Learning Atlas. Head, Neck and Neuroanatomy . 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Georg Thieme, Stuttgart et al. 2009, ISBN 978-3-13-139542-9 , p. 193.