Thyroid Cartilage, Posterior View

Description

Seen from behind in an adult male larynx, the thyroid cartilage forms the anterior and lateral walls while its posterior laminae curve medially toward the midline, ending superiorly and inferiorly as the cornua. Superior horns (cornua superiora) project upward toward the greater horn of the hyoid, while the inferior horns (cornua inferiora) descend to articulate with the cricoid cartilage at the cricothyroid joints. Between and just inferior to the posterior thyroid margin, the arytenoid cartilages sit posteriosuperior to the cricoid lamina, with intrinsic laryngeal muscles spanning between these cartilaginous landmarks. Epiglottic cartilage lies superior and anterior to the laryngeal inlet. Clear landmarks. A posterior perspective like this clarifies the mechanics of phonation because it places the arytenoids, cricoarytenoid joints, and the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle in the same line of sight, making abduction of the vocal folds easier to teach than in an anterior “Adam’s apple” view. It also frames the cricothyroid joint as a palpable and surgically relevant pivot point, the same joint strained in laryngeal trauma and targeted indirectly when adjusting vocal fold tension during phonosurgery. Radiologists and surgeons often think in this geometry when correlating endoscopic findings with CT or when planning airway access around the posterior laryngeal framework. Use this illustration in head and neck anatomy teaching (larynx module), otolaryngology texts discussing the cartilaginous skeleton and intrinsic muscle actions, and voice clinic materials explaining posterior glottic function and arytenoid positioning. It also fits surgical education on cricothyroid joint anatomy, posterior laryngeal trauma patterns, and relationships that matter during difficult intubation or tracheostomy planning. Anatomical accuracy verified by SciePro's Medical Advisory Board.