Two questions have long retained their interest for the laryngologist: 1. Why does adduction instead of abduction of the vocal cords follow section of the inferior laryngeal nerves? 2. After the paralyzed vocal cords are in adduction, what can be done to help the patient? In an attempt to see whether any further light could be thrown on these problems, the research here reported was undertaken.
MUSCLES AND NERVES OF THE LARYNX
In man, the intrinsic muscles of the larynx may be divided into two groups: those that abduct and those that adduct the vocal cords.
The abduction of the vocal cords is dependent on the posterior crico-arytenoid muscle. This muscle separates the cords, and consequently opens the glottis by rotating the arytenoid cartilages outward around a vertical axis, passing through the crico-arytenoid joints, so that the vocal processes and the vocal cords attached to them become separated.
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