oblique arytenoid muscles (anatomy)
Last reviewed 01/2018
The oblique arytenoids are paired, bilateral muscles of the laryngeal inlet. The arise from the muscular process of each arytenoid cartilage. They pass medially to insert into the superior pole of the contralateral arytenoid cartilage. The fibres from both sides cross each other in the midline. The more oblique fibres of the muscle are sometimes considered to continue anterosuperiorly as the aryepiglottic muscle - see submenu.
The oblique arytenoid muscles are innervated by the recurrent laryngeal branch of the vagus nerve (X).
The oblique arytenoids act to adduct the arytenoid cartilages towards each other and so close the inlet to the larynx.