Transverse arytenoid | |
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Anatomical terms of muscle |
The transverse arytenoid is an unpaired intrinsic muscle of the larynx. It is situated deep to the two oblique arytenoids; the oblique and transverse arytenoids are often considered two parts of a single muscle - the interarytenoid (arytenoid) muscle (which is then said to have an oblique part and a transverse part).[1]
The transverse arytenoid bridges the gap between the two arytenoid cartilage in the larynx, occupying the concavity of the lateral surface of each cartilage.[1]
Anatomy
[edit]Attachments
[edit]The muscle attaches to both arytenoid cartilages, attaching onto each cartilage at the posterior aspect of its muscular process and the adjacent lateral border of the cartilage.[1]
Innervation
[edit]The muscle receives motor innervation from the two recurrent laryngeal nerves (each being a branch of the ipsilateral vagus nerve (CN X)); the muscle also receives branches from the internal laryngeal branch, though the latter's contribution to the muscle's motor innervation is unclear.[1]
Function
[edit]The muscle approximates the two arytenoid cartilages to close the posterior (intercartilaginous) part of rima glottidis.[1]