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Evidence for recurrent laryngeal nerve contribution in motor innervation of the human cricopharyngeal muscle
Author(s) -
Brok Heidy A. J.,
Copper Marcel P.,
Stroeve Rutger J.,
de Visser Bram W. Ongerboer,
Venkervan Haagen Anjob J.,
Schouwenburg Paul F.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
the laryngoscope
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1531-4995
pISSN - 0023-852X
DOI - 10.1097/00005537-199905000-00005
Subject(s) - medicine , anatomy , electromyography , recurrent laryngeal nerve , pharyngeal muscles , motor nerve , pharynx , plexus , physical medicine and rehabilitation , thyroid
Abstract Objective : To study the functional motor nerve supply of the upper esophageal sphincter in humans. Study Design : Intraoperative electromyographic study. Methods : The contribution of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and the pharyngeal plexus in the motor nerve innervation of the cricopharyngeal muscle and the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle was examined intraoperatively. Results : Electromyography showed that there is a considerable overlap in the innervation of the cricopharyngeal muscle and the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle. The recurrent laryngeal nerve functionally contributes to the motor innervation of the cricopharyngeal muscle in all patients and contributes to the motor innervation of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle in most patients. The pharyngeal plexus functionally contributes to the motor innervation of the inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle but does not always contribute to the motor innervation of the cricopharyngeal muscle. Conclusions : This is the first report which provides evidence that the recurrent laryngeal nerve functionally contributes to the motor innervation of the cricopharyngeal and inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle. Furthermore, this study shows that intraoperative electromyography in humans is a feasible method to analyze the physiology of the motor innervation of the upper esophageal sphincter.