Thyroid cartilage
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Spencer T, Hacking C, Yu Y, et al. Thyroid cartilage. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 09 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-44430
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rID:
44430
Article created:
21 Apr 2016,
Tom Spencer
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Tom Spencer had no recorded disclosures.
View Tom Spencer's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At 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
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16 times, by
8 contributors -
see full revision history and disclosures
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The thyroid cartilage is the largest of the cartilages of the larynx, with its superior border sitting at the level of the C4 vertebra.
On this page:
Gross anatomy
The thyroid cartilage consists of bilateral flattened laminae that are fused in the anterior midline to form the laryngeal prominence (Adam's apple). Each lamina possesses an oblique ridge laterally, with a tubercle superiorly and inferiorly. The posterior border of the laminae are free and project upwards and downwards as the superior and inferior horns (cornua) respectively. The superior horns attach to the hyoid bone via the thyrohyoid membrane and lateral thyrohyoid ligaments. The inferior horns directly articulate with the cricoid cartilage at the cricothyroid joint.
Musculoligamentous attachments
-
superior border
thyrohyoid membrane
median thyrohyoid ligament
lateral thyrohyoid ligaments
-
inferior border
cricothyroid membrane
median cricothyroid ligament
-
oblique ridge
-
internal surface
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Anatomical variants
thyroid cartilage calcification 4
cyst-like change in the thyroid cartilage 5
agenesis of the thyroid horns 6
ectopic superior thyroid horns 6
lateral thyrohyoid ossification 6
terminal segmentation of the thyroid horns 6
buckled thyroid cartilage 7
Quiz questions
References
- 1. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Mcminn. Last's Anatomy. Elsevier Australia. (2003) ISBN:0729537528. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Butler P, Mitchell A, Healy JC. Applied Radiological Anatomy. Cambridge University Press. (2012) ISBN:0521766664. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 4. Wenaas A, Wenaas TB, Wenaas OJ, Wenaas. The progression of thyroid cartilage calcification as it relates to the utilization of laryngeal ultrasound. (2016) The Laryngoscope. doi:10.1002/lary.25582 - Pubmed
- 5. Chetcuti K, Avula S. Cyst-like change in the thyroid cartilage: A developmental variant in children. (2016) Ultrasound (Leeds, England). 24 (4): 237-240. doi:10.1177/1742271X16671040 - Pubmed
- 6. Pinheiro J, Pinheiro CJ, Pinheiro LdAB, Pinheiro OJ, Pinheiro RCM, Pinheiro. Laryngeal anatomical variants and their impact on the diagnosis of mechanical asphyxias by neck pressure. (2018) Forensic science international. doi:10.1016/j.forsciint.2018.06.019 - Pubmed
- 7. Chang B, Chang LK, Chang NE, Chang MM, Chang. Buckled Thyroid Cartilage: An Anatomic Variant. (2018) Journal of voice : official journal of the Voice Foundation. doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2017.07.020 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
Articles:
- Vertebral levels (anatomical landmarks)
- Ligaments of the larynx
- Intrinsic muscles of the larynx
- External carotid artery
- Cricoid cartilage
- Levator glandulae thyroideae muscle
- Inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle
- Paraglottic space
- Internal carotid artery
- Laryngeal cartilages
- Muscles of mastication
- Cartilage
- Guttman test (larynx)
- Common carotid artery
- Thyroid gland
- Branchial apparatus
- Stylopharyngeus muscle
- Laryngeal paraganglia
- Killian dehiscence
- True vocal cords
Cases:
Multiple choice questions:
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