Corpus: Median cricothyroid ligament

The median cricothyroid ligament is a strong ligament located in the laryngeal region, connecting the thyroid cartilage (cartilago thyroidea) anteriorly to the cricoid cartilage (cartilago cricoidea).

The median cricothyroid ligament merges dorsally and laterally into the conus elasticus, and some authors consider it the anterior part or reinforcement of the conus elasticus. It has a broad attachment to the cricoid cartilage at its lower (caudal) end, and the fibers converge to form a narrower attachment to the thyroid cartilage at the upper (cranial) end. Laterally, the ligament is partially overlaid by the cricothyroid muscle on both sides, but its central part is in direct contact with the subcutaneous tissue. A small anastomosis of the right and left superior thyroid arteries may run horizontally over the ligament.

The median cricothyroid ligament is a key anatomical landmark for performing a cricothyrotomy, a relatively safe emergency procedure to establish an airway by making an incision through this ligament. It is important to distinguish a cricothyrotomy from a tracheotomy, which is a different procedure performed lower in the trachea.