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Origin lateral part of the arch of the cricoid Insertion muscular process of the arytenoid cartilage Nerve recurrent laryngeal branch of the vagus Actions adduct and medially rotate the cartilage, pulling the vocal ligaments towards the midline and backwards and so closing off the rima glottidis Antagonist Posterior cricoarytenoid muscle Latin Musculus cricoarytaenoideus lateralis | ||
The lateral cricoarytenoid (also anterior cricoarytenoid) muscles extend from the lateral cricoid cartilage to the muscular process of the arytenoid cartilage. By rotating the arytenoid cartilages medially, these muscles adduct the vocal cords and thereby close the rima glottidis, protecting the airway. (Their action is antagonistic to that of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscles.) The lateral cricoarytenoid muscles receive innervation from the recurrent laryngeal branch of the vagus nerve (CN X).
References
Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA