Cricothyroid ligament

Ligament: Cricothyroid ligament
The ligaments of the larynx. Antero-lateral view.
Latin	ligamentum cricothyreoideum
Gray's	subject #236 1078
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Dorlands/Elsevier	l_09/12489277

The cricothyroid ligament is the larger part of the laryngeal membrane, continuing inferiorly as a median or anterior part and twin lateral ligaments.

Cricothyroid ligament

The median cricothyroid ligament is a flat band of white tissue joining the cricoid and thyroid cartilages, while the lateral cricothyroid ligament is also known as the cricothyroid membrane (also called conus elasticus).

Clinical significance

This ligament is cut during emergency cricothyrotomy. This ligament's main purpose is to keep the cricoid and thyroid from traveling too far.

See also

• cricothyroid muscle

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.