Anatom3DCricothyroid ligament
Ligamentum cricothyroideum medianum · Prstencovo-štítný vaz
Joints & cartilage
Looks like
A tough elastic band in the front of the neck, filling the gap between the thyroid cartilage (Adam's apple) and the ring-shaped cricoid below.
What it does
Closes the front of the voice box and continues upward inside as the elastic cone that forms the vocal folds.
Keeping it well
The soft dip here is the emergency airway site: in choking that cannot be relieved, doctors cut through it (cricothyrotomy).
Related conditions
- Croup & epiglottitis
- Gout
- Haemophilia & bleeding disorders
- Head and neck cancer
- Laryngitis & voice disorders
- Lyme disease
- Marfan syndrome & connective tissue disorders
- Osteoarthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Rheumatic fever & rheumatic heart disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Temporomandibular joint disorder