Posterior Cricoarytenoid Muscle, Posterior View

Description

Posteriorly oriented in the male larynx, the paired posterior cricoarytenoid muscles arise broadly from the posterior lamina of the cricoid cartilage and converge superolaterally to insert on the muscular processes of the arytenoid cartilages. Their fascicles course upward and outward, flanking the midline cricoid crest, with the arytenoids positioned superior to the cricoid and medial to the thyroid alae that frame the laryngeal inlet more anteriorly. Superiorly, the epiglottis and hyoid complex sits above the glottic level, while the vocal folds lie anterior to the arytenoids and are suggested by the pale blue mucosal contours. Only one intrinsic laryngeal muscle abducts the vocal folds. The posterior cricoarytenoid rotates the arytenoids laterally at the cricoarytenoid joints, opening the rima glottidis for airflow, so bilateral dysfunction after thyroid or anterior cervical surgery, posterior glottic scarring, or recurrent laryngeal nerve injury can present with inspiratory stridor and a compromised airway rather than dysphonia alone. This posterior view also clarifies why arytenoid fixation or cricoarytenoid arthritis limits abduction even when the muscle belly remains intact. Suitable for otolaryngology teaching on intrinsic laryngeal muscles, speech and swallowing modules on glottic biomechanics, and surgical atlases discussing posterior laryngeal framework and arytenoid-level procedures (for example, posterior cordotomy or arytenoidectomy planning). Use it in journal figures to contrast abductors versus adductors when explaining vocal fold immobility patterns. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.