The thyroid cartilage is the largest cartilage of the larynx, formed by two quadrilateral laminae that fuse anteriorly at the laryngeal prominence (Adam's apple), open posteriorly, and project superiorly as the superior horns (attached to the hyoid by the thyrohyoid ligament) and inferiorly as the inferior horns (articulating with the cricoid at the cricothyroid joint). The oblique line on the external surface provides attachment for the thyrohyoid, sternothyroid, and inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscles.
| Location | Front of the neck at about C4-C5, below the hyoid bone and above the cricoid cartilage |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Blood Supply | Superior laryngeal artery (from the superior thyroid artery); Inferior laryngeal artery (from the inferior thyroid artery); Cricothyroid branch of the superior thyroid artery |
Shields the vocal folds and forms the front attachment for them. Tilting it on the cricoid stretches the vocal folds to raise pitch. Its hyaline cartilage often partly ossifies from early adulthood.
The thyroid cartilage defines the boundaries of the cricothyrotomy site: the inferior border of the thyroid cartilage is palpated above the cricothyroid membrane. In surgical airway algorithms, the laryngeal prominence is the starting palpation point to identify the correct anatomy. Thyroid cartilage fracture from strangulation or blunt anterior neck trauma produces laryngeal oedema and airway compromise requiring emergency intubation or surgical airway. Thyroid cartilage is used as graft material in laryngeal reconstruction.
Blunt anterior neck trauma fractures the thyroid cartilage at its laminae or at the laryngeal prominence, producing hoarseness, subcutaneous emphysema, laryngeal oedema, and respiratory distress; CT confirms the fracture pattern and airway compromise mandates awake fibreoptic intubation or emergency surgical airway before CT if stridor is severe.
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