Effects of Arytenoid Abduction and Modified Castellated Laryngofissure on the Rima Glottidis in Canine Cadavers

The percentages of change in cross-sectional area and dorsoventral height of the rima glottidis were measured after seven types of laryngoplasty in 30 postmortem canine specimens. The mean increases in area after each procedure were, in decreasing order, bilateral cricoarytenoid disarticulation with interarytenoid sesamoid band transection before placement of arytenoid abduction sutures 350% +/- 42%, bilateral placement of arytenoid abduction sutures 318% +/- 40%, bilateral cricothyroid disarticulation before placement of arytenoid abduction sutures 255% +/- 51%, modified castellated laryngofissure 244% +/- 30%, unilateral cricoarytenoid disarticulation with interarytenoid sesamoid band transection before placement of an arytenoid abduction suture 161% +/- 25%, unilateral placement of an arytenoid abduction suture 151% +/- 24% and unilateral cricothyroid disarticulation before placement of an arytenoid abduction suture 108% +/- 25%. Bilateral cricoarytenoid disarticulation with interarytenoid sesamoid band transection before placement of arytenoid abduction sutures resulted in a significantly greater increase in rima glottidis area than modified castellated laryngofissure and all unilateral arytenoid abduction techniques. Modified castellated laryngofissure resulted in a significantly greater increase than unilateral placement of an arytenoid abduction suture and cricothyroid disarticulation before placement of an arytenoid abduction suture. Bilateral disarticulation of the cricothyroid joint before placement of arytenoid abduction sutures resulted in significant collapse of the dorsoventral height of the rima glottidis.