K. Nakaaki et T. Shin, A 3-DIMENSIONAL RECONSTRUCTIVE STUDY OF THE LAYER STRUCTURE OF THE HUMAN VOCAL CORD, European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology, 250(3), 1993, pp. 190-192
The purpose of this investigation was to clarify the detailed histolog
ical structure of the human larynx and to clarify the cause of adaptat
ion in high-frequency vibrations using three-dimensional histological
reconstructions of human true vocal cords. In a first series of studie
s, 54 intact adult larynges were obtained from 398 human cavaders with
known histories. Four of these laryngeal specimens were fixed in 10%
formalin. Three of these were decalcified and embedded in paraffin and
the other in Technovit-7100. The layer structure of each larynx was i
nvestigated with a three-dimensional reconstruction method using a per
sonal computer. Results demonstrated that the elastic fiber layer in t
he superior surface of the vocal cord was wider than that in the infer
ior surface. The collagen fiber layer extends from the anterior commis
sure in a posterior direction. The elastic fiber layer connected both
the anterior and the posterior macula flava, while the collagen fiber
layer connected the thyroid cartilage and the anterior macula flava.