Vocalis muscle
Musculus vocalis
- Latin synonym: Pars vocalis musculi thyreoarytaenoidei
- Related terms: Vocalis
Definition
Vocalis muscle | |
Origin | Angle between laminae of thyroid cartilage (inner aspect) |
Insertion | Vocal process of arytenoid cartilage |
Innervation | Recurrent laryngeal branch of the vagus |
Action | Shortens and relaxes vocal folds. |
The vocalis muscle is the medial portion of the thyroarytenoid muscle and forms the core of the vocal fold, lying immediately lateral to the vocal ligament.
Origin and Insertion
The muscle extends from the inner surface of the thyroid cartilage near the angle to the vocal process of the arytenoid cartilage.
Action
The vocalis muscle makes fine adjustments to the tension and length of the vocal folds by shortening and relaxing the vocal folds. This allows for precise modulation of pitch and tone during phonation.
Innervation
All parts of the thyroarytenoid muscle are innervated by the recurrent laryngeal nerve, a branch of the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X).
References
Gray, H. (2016) Gray’s Anatomy: The Anatomical Basis of Clinical Practice. 41st edn. Edited by S. Standring. New York: Elsevier. Chapter 35: Larynx, pp. 597.
Hoerter JE, Fakoya AO, Chandran SK. Anatomy, Head and Neck: Laryngeal Muscles. [Updated 2024 Jul 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545265/
