| Thyrohyoid membrane | |
|---|---|
 The ligaments of the larynx. Antero-lateral view. | |
| Details | |
| System | skeletal |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | membrana thyrohyoidea, membrana hyothyreoidea |
| TA98 | A06.2.02.013 |
| TA2 | 1651 |
| FMA | 55132 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Thethyrohyoid membrane (orhyothyroid membrane) is a broad, fibro-elastic sheet of thelarynx. It connects the upper border of thethyroid cartilage to thehyoid bone.
The thyrohyoid membrane is attached below to the upper border of thethyroid cartilage and to the front of itssuperior cornu, and above to the upper margin of the posterior surface of the body andgreater cornu of thehyoid bone.[1] It passes behind the posterior surface of the body of the hyoid. It is separated from the hyoid bone by a mucousbursa, which allows for the upward movement of the larynx duringswallowing.[1]
Its middle thicker part is termed themedian thyrohyoid ligament.[1] Its lateral thinner portions are pierced by the superior laryngeal vessels and the internal branch of thesuperior laryngeal nerve.[1] Its anterior surface is in relation with thethyrohyoid muscle,sternohyoid muscle, andomohyoid muscles, and with the body of the hyoid bone. It is pierced by thesuperior laryngeal nerve.[2] It is also pierced thesuperior thyroid artery, where there is a thickening of the membrane.[2]
The thyrohyoid membrane needs to be manipulated to access thesuperior thyroid artery.[2]
The thyrohyoid membrane refers to the two structures it connects: thethyroid cartilage and thehyoid bone. It may also be known as the hyothyroid membrane, where the two structures are reversed.[3]
This article incorporates text in thepublic domain frompage 1076 of the 20th edition ofGray's Anatomy(1918)
