title: Arytenoid asymmetry in relation to posture, neck tension and glottal attack in singers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To look at the incidence of arytenoid asymmetry in a group of healthy singers and to investigate whether the asymmetry correlates with posture, neck tension and glottal attack.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records and video recordings of 42 singers were reviewed retrospectively. Posture, neck tension and glottal attack were evaluated in relation to arytenoid asymmetry during adduction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of singers was 42, with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. The age range was 16-38 years, with a mean of 24±4.13 years. The total prevalence of arytenoid asymmetry was 50%, with a predominance in males and on the right side. The most common asymmetry was that of the cuneiform cartilages, accounting for 40.5% of the total sample and 81% of the total asymmetries. There was no correlation between arytenoid asymmetry and either posture, neck tension or glottal attack (p=0.343, 0.489 and 0.945, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One out of 2 singers is likely to have arytenoid asymmetry during adduction. The presence of asymmetry does not correlate with posture, neck tension or glottal attack.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Otolaryngology, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Sami Tanbouzi
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Husseini
authors.forename: Jihad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ashkar
authors.forename: Akaber
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Halawi
authors.forename: Abla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sibai
authors.forename: Abdul-Latif
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Hamdan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001193:Arytenoid Cartilage / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D005931:Glottis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007821:Laryngeal Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009129:Muscle Tonus; D009146:Music; D009334:Neck Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D010699:Phonation; D011187:Posture; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014741:Video Recording; D014831:Voice; D014833:Voice Quality; D055815:Young Adult