recurrent laryngeal nerve

Origin

vagus nerves

Innervation

• lateral cricoarytenoid muscle
• oblique arytenoid muscle
• posterior cricoarytenoid
• thyroarytenoid
• thyroepiglottic muscle
• transverse arytenoid muscle
• vocalis muscle
• it supplies cardiac, tracheal & esophageal branches of the vagus nerve

Course

• a branch of the vagus nerve curving upward, on the right side round the root of the subclavian artery, on the left side round the arch of the aorta, then passing upward behind the common carotid artery, between the trachea & the esophagus to the larynx

Branches

• cardiac, tracheal & esophageal branches
• terminates as the inferior laryngeal nerve

Pathology

Injury:

• associated with hoarseness.

More general terms

• peripheral nerve

Additional terms

• inferior laryngeal nerve
• vagus nerve (CN X)