Aryepiglottic Muscle

Larynx · Head & Neck

The Aryepiglottic Muscle is found among the Larynx muscles of the Head & Neck. Originating at Apex of the arytenoid cartilage (continuation of the oblique arytenoid), it inserts at Lateral border of the epiglottis. Its chief action is that it narrows and closes the laryngeal inlet (aditus). Innervation is provided by the Recurrent laryngeal nerve (vagus, CN X).

Origin, Insertion, Action & Nerve

Origin

Apex of the arytenoid cartilage (continuation of the oblique arytenoid)

Insertion

Lateral border of the epiglottis

Action

Narrows and closes the laryngeal inlet (aditus)

Nerve

Recurrent laryngeal nerve (vagus, CN X)

Attachments explained

The Aryepiglottic Muscle is defined first by where it attaches. Its origin is the more fixed anchor, usually the proximal or more stable end that stays put during contraction, while its insertion is the more mobile point that is pulled toward the origin when the muscle shortens.

Origin

Apex of the arytenoid cartilage (continuation of the oblique arytenoid)

Insertion

Lateral border of the epiglottis

Action & function

When the Aryepiglottic Muscle contracts, it produces the following movement: Narrows and closes the laryngeal inlet (aditus).

As part of the Larynx group of the Head & Neck, it works alongside neighbouring muscles to generate smooth, coordinated movement and to stabilise the structures it acts on.

Nerve supply & clinical relevance

The Aryepiglottic Muscle receives its nerve supply from the Recurrent laryngeal nerve (vagus, CN X).

Because a muscle can only contract when its nerve is intact, injury to the Recurrent laryngeal nerve can weaken or paralyse the Aryepiglottic Muscle, impairing the movements it normally produces (narrows and closes the laryngeal inlet (aditus)). This is why knowing the innervation is central to localising nerve lesions in clinical practice.

How to study the Aryepiglottic Muscle (the OIANS method)

OIANS stands for Origin, Insertion, Action and Nerve, the four facts that uniquely define every skeletal muscle. To learn the Aryepiglottic Muscle, work through them in order: picture its origin, trace the muscle to its insertion, reason out the action that shortening between those two points must create, then add the nerve that drives it.

Most students remember the Aryepiglottic Muscle fastest by linking its action back to its attachments rather than memorising each fact in isolation. Once the origin and insertion make sense, the action usually follows logically.