Inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Owen Kang had no recorded disclosures.
View Owen Kang's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Craig Hacking had the following disclosures:
- Philips Australia, Paid speaker at Philips Spectral CT events (ongoing)
These were assessed during peer review and were determined to not be relevant to the changes that were made.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosures- Inferior constrictor
- Cricopharyngeus muscle
- Thyropharyngeus muscle
- Cricopharyngeus muscles
- Thyropharyngeus muscles
The inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle is one of the pharyngeal constrictor muscles. The muscle is described as having two main parts, thyropharyngeus and cricopharyngeus, which originate from the oblique line of the thyroid lamina and lateral aspect of the cricoid cartilage respectively.
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Gross anatomy
The thyropharyngeus muscle arises from the (a) thyroid cartilage at the oblique line and (b) the tendinous arch that spans the cricothyroid muscle. Its fibers curve around posteriorly and insert into the midline raphe. The lower fibers are horizontal and lie edge to edge with those of the cricopharyngeus component.
The cricopharyngeus muscle is rounder and thicker than the other constrictor muscles. Its fibers run continuously from one side of the cricoid arch to the other side around the pharynx without inserting into a midline raphe posteriorly. Its muscle fibers are continuous with the circular muscular coat of the esophagus. It acts as a sphincter at the lower end of the pharynx and is always closed except for momentary relaxation during swallowing.
The cricopharyngeus has an important sphincteric function. It is physiologically in a tonic state, constricting the distal end of the pharynx (in coordination with the superior pharyngeal constrictor and the middle pharyngeal constrictor muscles). It is always closed except for momentary relaxation during swallowing. Its closure prevents air from being sucked into the upper esophagus when intrathoracic pressure falls, allowing air to be sucked only into the permanently open trachea.
Relations and/or boundaries
The recurrent laryngeal nerve and inferior laryngeal vessels pass upwards deep to the lower border of the cricopharyngeus
The middle and superior constrictors are enclosed by the thyropharyngeus fibers that wrap around to the midline raphe
Summary
origin: cricoid and thyroid cartilage
insertion: pharyngeal raphe
artery: ascending pharyngeal artery, branch of the external carotid artery
nerve: pharyngeal plexus; cricopharyngeus part can also receive innervation from the recurrent laryngeal nerve and/or the external laryngeal nerve
action: sphincteric function, swallowing
Related pathology
The area of the pharyngeal wall at the junction between the thyropharyngeus and the cricopharyngeus is a potentially weak area. A focal weakness or deficiency in this area of the pharyngeal wall is termed a Killian dehiscence and can produce a pulsion-pseudodiverticulum, known as a pharyngeal diverticulum or pouch (Zenker diverticulum).
References
- 1. DSc SSP. Gray's Anatomy. Churchill Livingstone. (2011) ISBN:0443066841. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Chummy S. Sinnatamby. Last's Anatomy. (2018) ISBN: 9780702033940
Incoming Links
- Internal laryngeal nerve
- Nucleus ambiguus
- Cricopharyngeal muscle spasm
- Cricopharyngeal bar
- Killian-Jamieson diverticulum
- Pharyngeal muscles
- Pharynx
- Thyroid cartilage
- Esophagus
- Carotid triangle
- Zenker diverticulum
- Middle pharyngeal constrictor muscle
- Pharyngeal constrictor muscles
- Killian dehiscence
- Hypopharynx
- Pharyngeal plexus
- Recurrent laryngeal nerve
- Inferior laryngeal artery
- External laryngeal nerve
- Boerhaave syndrome
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