Cricoid Cartilage, Posterior View

Description

Posteriorly, the cricoid cartilage is dominated by its broad lamina, rising superiorly above the narrower anterior arch and forming the only complete cartilaginous ring of the adult larynx. Superior to the lamina sit the paired arytenoid cartilages on the cricoid facets, with the interarytenoid region spanning the midline and the posterior cricoarytenoid muscles fanning laterally across the lamina. Inferiorly, the cricoid transitions to the first tracheal rings, while the posterior border of the thyroid cartilage is seen more superior and lateral, framing the laryngeal inlet from behind. This is the laryngeal back wall. That posterior cricoid lamina is the key landmark for airway mechanics and for pathology that targets the subglottis. Endotracheal tubes and prolonged intubation can produce pressure injury and posterior subglottic stenosis at the level of the cricoid, where mucosa is tightly invested over cartilage and ischemia can progress to chondritis. Surgeons also read this surface when working in the posterior glottis: the relationship between the cricoid lamina, the cricoarytenoid joints, and the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle explains why vocal fold immobility from recurrent laryngeal nerve injury differs from true cricoarytenoid joint fixation. Use this posterior view in otolaryngology teaching to anchor the cricoarytenoid joint, posterior glottic airway, and subglottic region, or in anesthesia and ICU publications discussing intubation-related laryngeal injury and post-extubation stridor. It also fits cleanly into atlas plates contrasting the cricoid arch versus lamina and correlating posterior laryngeal anatomy with laryngoscopy and CT of the subglottis. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.