The Thyroid Cartilage is the main, noticeable structure of the Larynx, and is the largest of the cartilages that make up the Larynx. It looks like a plate-like shield forming the front wall of the Larynx. The noticeable prominence of the Male Thyroid Cartilage is widely known as the “Adam’s Apple”.
The angle of the prominence is 90° in the male and 120° in the female. The Thyroid Cartilage connects below to the Cricoid Cartilage at the Cricothyroid joint and the median Cricothyroid Ligament. It connects above to the Hyoid Bone by the Thyrohyoid Membrane and the Median and Lateral Thyrohyoid Ligaments. The Thyroid Cartilage shield protects the Vocal Folds, which are directly behind, and acts as an attachment for them along with several other muscles and ligaments.
