title: Length of the human vocal folds: proposal of mathematical equations as a function of gender and body height.
abstract: To obtain a mathematical equation that could estimate the length of the intermembranous part of the vocal fold as a function of body height and gender, we removed the larynges from 39 cadavers (22 men and 17 women) after recording the subject's height, age, and cause of death. The dimensions of the vocal folds were determined with a digital pachymeter. The following equations were obtained: y = 0.18x - 15.8 for men and y = 0.24x - 28.1 for women, where y is the length of the intermembranous part of the vocal folds in millimeters and x is the height of the individual in centimeters. We conclude that it is possible to estimate the normal expected length of the intermembranous portion of the male and female vocal folds on the basis of body height.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Aragão Ximenes
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Filho
authors.forename: Erich Christiano Madruga
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: de Melo
authors.forename: Domingos Hiroshi
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Christiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Giacomo Carneiro
authors.forename: Luiz Ubirajara
authors.initials: LU
authors.lastname: Sennes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001827:Body Height; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D012737:Sex Factors; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000033:anatomy & histology*