Lateral Cross Section of the Larynx Showing the Conus Elasticus Ligament

Description

Sectioned in the sagittal-lateral plane, the male larynx is opened to expose the conus elasticus (lateral cricothyroid membrane) rising from the superior border of the cricoid arch and sweeping superomedially toward the vocal ligament along the inner surface of the thyroid cartilage lamina. Superior to it, the quadrangular membrane would be expected to frame the laryngeal vestibule, while the arytenoid cartilage sits posteriosuperiorly on the cricoid lamina, anchoring the posterior end of the true vocal fold. Anteriorly and slightly inferiorly, the median cricothyroid ligament bridges the cricoid to the inferior thyroid margin, contiguous laterally with the conus elasticus. This is a tight space. Clinically, the conus elasticus matters because it defines the subglottic wall and the mechanical continuity between cricoid cartilage and the vocal ligament, so edema or scarring here changes glottic closure and airflow before you ever reach the true cords. The cricothyroid region is also the landmark for emergency cricothyrotomy, where incision through the cricothyroid membrane must stay in the midline to avoid the cricothyroid muscles and the cricothyroid branch of the superior thyroid artery laterally, and to keep clear of the anterior commissure and vocal folds superiorly. This lateral section offers a clean way to teach those boundaries and the funnel-like ascent of the membrane. Use this artwork for head and neck anatomy courses, otolaryngology teaching files on subglottic stenosis and laryngeal framework, and surgical manuals illustrating cricothyrotomy and anterior laryngeal exposure. It also supports voice and swallowing publications that need a clear distinction between the conus elasticus, vocal ligament, and thyroid and cricoid cartilages. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.