The arytenoid muscle or interarytenoid muscle is a composite intrinsic muscle of the larynx, consisting of a
transverse part and an
oblique part - the two parts may be considered as separate muscles: an unpaired
transverse arytenoid muscle, and a bilaterally paired
oblique arytenoid muscle
The oblique arytenoid is bilaterally paired intrinsic muscle of the larynx. It is superficial to the transverse arytenoid; the oblique and transverse arytenoids are often considered two parts of a single muscle - the interarytenoid muscle (which ...
.
The two constituent parts differ in their attachments, structure and actions. Both receive motor innervation from the
recurrent laryngeal nerve(s) (each nerve being a branch of one
vagus nerve (CN X)).
Clinical significance
Electromyography
Function of the arytenoid muscle is a good method to determine function of the
recurrent laryngeal nerve
The recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), also known as nervus recurrens, is a branch of the vagus nerve ( cranial nerve X) that supplies all the intrinsic muscles of the larynx, with the exception of the cricothyroid muscles. There are two recur ...
.
Continuous
electromyography
Electromyography (EMG) is a technique for evaluating and recording the electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles. EMG is performed using an instrument called an electromyograph to produce a record called an electromyogram. An electromyo ...
of the arytenoid muscle can provide confidence to
surgeons
In medicine, a surgeon is a medical doctor who performs surgery. Even though there are different traditions in different times and places, a modern surgeon is a licensed physician and received the same medical training as physicians before spec ...
that the recurrent laryngeal nerve is not damaged during
neck surgeries, such as
thyroidectomy
A thyroidectomy is an operation that involves the surgery, surgical removal of all or part of the thyroid gland. In general surgery, endocrine or head and neck surgeons often perform a thyroidectomy when a patient has thyroid cancer or some other ...
.
Other animals
The arytenoid muscle is found in many animals, including
dogs
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers ...
.
Additional images
File:Gray950.png, The cartilages of the larynx. Posterior view.
File:Gray959.png, Muscles of larynx. Side view. Right lamina of thyroid cartilage removed.
File:Slide6kkkk.JPG, Aryepiglotic muscle
File:Gray960.png, Muscles of the larynx, seen from above.
File:Gray1028.png, Dissection of the muscles of the palate from behind.
References
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{{Authority control
Muscles of the head and neck