laryngealartär

The laryngeal artery, also known as the laryngeal arteria, is a blood vessel that supplies oxygenated blood to the larynx, the part of the throat that contains the vocal cords. This artery typically originates from the superior thyroid artery, which is a branch of the external carotid artery. In some instances, it can arise directly from the external carotid artery itself. The laryngeal artery then ascends along the thyroid cartilage.

Upon reaching the larynx, the laryngeal artery divides into two main branches: the superior laryngeal artery and the inferior laryngeal artery. The superior laryngeal artery typically penetrates the thyrohyoid membrane, a thin sheet of connective tissue that separates the thyroid cartilage from the hyoid bone. This branch then provides blood supply to the interior structures of the larynx, including the vocal folds and the supraglottic region. The inferior laryngeal artery, on the other hand, usually follows the recurrent laryngeal nerve and enters the larynx by passing behind the cricothyroid joint, supplying the area below the vocal cords and the cricothyroid muscle.

Variations in the origin and branching pattern of the laryngeal artery can occur, though the superior and inferior branches are consistently observed. Understanding the anatomy of the laryngeal artery is important in various medical fields, including surgery of the neck and larynx, as well as in diagnosing and treating conditions affecting the voice and breathing.