Control of the glottal configuration in ex vivo human models: quantitative anatomy for clinical and experimental practices.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this paper was to identify the determining factors of the glottal prephonatory configuration from the point of view of the resulting muscular actions (i.e., arytenoids adduction, membranous vocal fold adduction, and tension).


METHODS
21 human non-embalmed excised larynges (12 females and 9 males) were studied. Experiment A (11 larynges) studied four conditions of adduction of the vocal folds and arytenoids. Experiment B (10 larynges) studied the effect of cricothyroid approximation on the vocal fold length and the cricothyroid angle.


RESULTS
Experiment A: The mean glottal area significantly decreased from 41.2 mm2mean with no adduction, to 10.2 mm2mean with arytenoid adduction, to 9.2 mm2with membranous vocal fold adduction, and down to 1.1 mm2with the combination of arytenoid and membranous adduction. The effect of the task was statistically significant. Experiment B: The length of vocal folds increased from 13.61 mm median to 14.48 mm median, and the cricothyroid angle decreased of 10.05 median along with cricothyroid approximation.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of experiment A emphasize the sub-division of adductor intrinsic muscles in arytenoids adductors (i.e., LCA and IA), and membranous vocal fold adductor (i.e., TA). The results of experiment B quantify the effect of cricothyroid approximation on the vocal folds length. The implications of these results can be useful in both clinical practice and experimental studies.
Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Faculté de médecine de Marseille, Aix-Marseille Université, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille Cedex 05, France. aude.lagier@univ-amu.fr.|Laboratoire Parole et Langage, UMR CNRS-Aix-Marseille Université, 7309, Aix-en-Provence, France. aude.lagier@univ-amu.fr.|Service d'ORL et Chirurgie Cervico-Faciale, CHU La Conception, AP-HM, Marseille, France. aude.lagier@univ-amu.fr.
Aude
A
Lagier
Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Faculté de médecine de Marseille, Aix-Marseille Université, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille Cedex 05, France.
Daphné
D
Guenoun
Laboratoire Parole et Langage, UMR CNRS-Aix-Marseille Université, 7309, Aix-en-Provence, France.
Thierry
T
Legou
Laboratoire Parole et Langage, UMR CNRS-Aix-Marseille Université, 7309, Aix-en-Provence, France.
Robert
R
Espesser
Laboratoire Parole et Langage, UMR CNRS-Aix-Marseille Université, 7309, Aix-en-Provence, France.|Service d'ORL et Chirurgie Cervico-Faciale, CHU La Conception, AP-HM, Marseille, France.
Antoine
A
Giovanni
Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Faculté de médecine de Marseille, Aix-Marseille Université, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13385, Marseille Cedex 05, France.
Pierre
P
Champsaur
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D005260:Female; D005931:Glottis / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007821:Laryngeal Muscles / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D010699:Phonation; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*
Glottis; Larynx; Phonation control; Vocal folds adduction; Voice