Objective: In order to supply the anatomic data for the selective reinnervation operation of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, the nervous distribution of the recurrent laryngeal nerve was investigated.
Method: 50 total fresh human larynx were systematically dissected by the method of microdissection.
Result: In most cases, the recurrent laryngeal nerve diverges at the level of 1.0-2.5 cm under the cricothyroid articulation for forming the extralaryngeal division. There are three types of extralaryngeal division. Except the cricothyroid muscle, all the laryngeal intrinsic muscles are innervated by the anterior branch of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. In 88% of the cases, the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle is innervated by two nervous pedicle, the others are innervated by a single nervous pedicle.
Conclusion: At the level of the posteroinferior part of the thyroid cartilage, by opening a small window, we can easily find the abducent branch of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, following this branch, we can see the adducent branch and the thyroarytenoid branch. The anatomic specifity of the nervous distribution can supply us the data for the operation of selective nervous reinnervation to overcome the possibility of syncinesis of the laryngeal muscle.