Cricothyroid joint type as predictor for vocal fold elongation in professional singers

Objective

Vocal fold (VF) elongation vocal folds depends on two factors: the activity of the laryngeal muscles and the cricothyroid joint (CTJ). The aim of the study was to show the influence of the CTJ on VF elongation while singing a sustained vowel at different pitches.

Study Design

Prospective study.

Methods

Forty-nine female professional singers (25 sopranos, 24 altos) were recruited. Three-dimensional images of the larynx derived from high-resolution computed tomography scanning were obtained at the mean speaking fundamental frequency (F0) and one (F1) and two octaves (F2) above this pitch.

Results

From F0 to F1, all three CTJ types showed equal elongation of the VF (type A: 14%, type B/C: 13%). From F1 to F2, VF elongation was 8% in singers with type A and 4% in those with type B/C (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

The stability of the CTJ directly influences VF during singing. This is the first study to show this relationship in vivo.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 2017

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