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Thyro-arytenoid
Other Terms:
Thyro-arytenoideus,
Thyroarytenoid,
Musculus thyroarytenoideus,
Muscle thyro-aryténoïdien
Muscle parts
Thyro-epiglottic part
Latin name
Musculus thyroarytenoideus
Latin muscle parts
Pars thyroepiglottica
Group
Branchial arch muscle – sixth arch (Laryngeal muscle)
Etymology
In English, this muscle’s name is the muscle of the shield-like cartilage and the ladle shaped cartilage. The term thyro is from the Greek term thyreos for “shield.” The Greek word thyreos comes from thyra meaning door and referred to a large, oblong stone that was used as a door. The term thyreos was later used to refer to large oblong shields used by Minoan warriors. The shields covered them from shoulders to feet, with the top of the shield having a notch for the chin. It was this shield that the ancient anatomist Galen envisioned when he named the laryngeal cartilage in the 2nd Century.The term arytenoideus comes from the Greek arytaina meaning ladle or dipper, because of the fancied resemblance of this cartilage to a ladle.
Origin
Internal surface of the lower part of the angle of the thyroid cartilage and the cricothyroid ligament
Insertion
Lateral surface of the anterior part of the arytenoid cartilage
Action
Pull the arytenoid cartilages anteriorly and medially to relax the vocal ligaments narrow the glottis.
Nerve supply
Vagus nerve (Cranial nerve X)
Blood supply
The laryngeal muscles receive blood from both the subclavian and external carotid arteries. The thyrocervical trunk of the subclavian gives rise to the inferior thyroid, which gives rise to the inferior laryngeal artery. This artery enters the larynx from below. Entering the larynx from above is the superior laryngeal artery, which is a branch of the superior thyroid artery from the external carotid.
Latin
Musculus thyroarytenoideus
French
Muscle thyro-aryténoïdien