Meaning & use
thyrohyoid membrane
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountabletechnicalspecialistmedical
A broad sheet of fibrous tissue that connects the hyoid bone above to the thyroid cartilage of the larynx below.
Grammar: Usually used with the definite article: the thyrohyoid membrane. It is a single anatomical structure, so it is not normally plural, though thyrohyoid membranes is possible when comparing more than one specimen.
Patterns
- the thyrohyoid membrane
- the thyrohyoid membrane connects something to something
- a tear of the thyrohyoid membrane
The thyrohyoid membrane stretches from the hyoid bone to the thyroid cartilage.
In the dissection, the students identified the thyrohyoid membrane just above the larynx.
A blow to the front of the neck can injure the thyrohyoid membrane.
Word forms
| plural | thyrohyoid membranes |
|---|
Common combinations
- the thyrohyoid membrane connects the hyoid bone to the thyroid cartilage
- The thyrohyoid membrane connects the hyoid bone to the thyroid cartilage.
- pierce the thyrohyoid membrane
- The superior laryngeal artery pierces the thyrohyoid membrane.
- a tear of the thyrohyoid membrane
- A tear of the thyrohyoid membrane can cause pain when swallowing.
- the thyrohyoid membrane lies above the larynx
- The thyrohyoid membrane lies above the larynx and below the hyoid bone.
Synonyms and how they differ
- thyrohyoid ligament
- This term is sometimes used for the thickened middle part of the same structure, but it is not exactly the same as the whole membrane.
- hyothyroid membrane
- A less common name for the same structure, using the same two root words in the opposite order.
Word family
- thyrohyoid adjective
- Relating to the thyroid cartilage and the hyoid bone, as in thyrohyoid muscle.
- thyroid adjective
- Relating to the thyroid cartilage or the thyroid gland.
- hyoid adjective
- Relating to the hyoid bone, a U-shaped bone in the neck.
Commonly confused: thyrohyoid membrane or cricothyroid membrane? thyrohyoid membrane or thyrohyoid muscle?
thyrohyoid membrane vs cricothyroid membrane
This is a different structure lower down in the neck, between the cricoid and thyroid cartilages. It is often mentioned in emergency airway procedures, while the thyrohyoid membrane is higher up.
thyrohyoid membrane vs thyrohyoid muscle
This is a muscle, not a membrane. It runs from the thyroid cartilage to the hyoid bone and helps move the larynx.
Practice
The thyrohyoid membrane connects the hyoid bone to which structure?
Choose one answer.
The name thyrohyoid contains thyro- (thyroid cartilage) and hyoid (hyoid bone), so it connects the hyoid bone to the thyroid cartilage. The cricoid cartilage is connected by the cricothyroid membrane, and the epiglottis and vocal cords are different parts of the larynx.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “thyrohyoid membrane”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.