Cricoid cartilage
Cartilago cricoidea
RespiratoryOrgansNeck
- What it is
- The only complete ring of cartilage in the airway, shaped like a signet ring: a narrow arch in front and a tall lamina behind.
- Function
- Forms the base of the larynx, carrying the arytenoid and thyroid cartilages on synovial joints, and holds the airway open at the laryngo-tracheal junction.
- Size
- About 2.5 cm across; arch 5–7 mm high, lamina 2–3 cm high; at the level of C6.
- Clinical note
- An emergency airway (cricothyrotomy) is made through the cricothyroid membrane just above its arch; it is the narrowest point of a young child's airway.