Department of Otolaryngology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, USA
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, USA
Balkan Med J. 2024 Jul 5;41(4):280-285. doi: 10.4274/balkanmedj.galenos.2024.2024-2-2. Epub 2024 Jun 10.
Although several surgical landmarks have been proposed to localize the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN), there is still no reliable landmark.
To validate the reliability of a novel reference point at the intersection of the inferior border of the cricopharyngeal muscle and the inferior cornu of thyroid cartilage for locating the RLN.
Cadaver dissection study in the academic department of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery.
Sixty-four RLNs in cadavers were assessed, and measurements of different surgical landmarks in conjunction with the proposed surgical landmark were obtained. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-squared test, and Student’s t-test were performed to analyze the data using GraphPad Prism (version 9.4.1; Dotmatics, Boston, Massachusetts, USA).
The average distance from the proposed landmark to the RLN was 2.3 ± 0.85 mm. The RLN was located just posterior to the reference point in 95.31% of the cadavers. The RLN passed under the inferior constrictor muscle in 90.63% of the cadavers. There was no statistically significant difference between right- and left-sided RLNs in terms of their relation with the reference point.
The proposed reference point can be used as a reliable landmark to locate the RLN. This reference point may help surgeons during difficult thyroidectomy surgeries by providing an additional anatomical landmark.
尽管已经提出了几个用于定位喉返神经（RLN）的手术标志，但仍然没有可靠的标志。
验证环状软骨下缘与甲状软骨下角交点作为 RLN 定位新参考点的可靠性。
耳鼻喉头颈外科学术部门的尸体解剖研究。
对 64 个 RLN 进行评估，并获得了不同手术标志与拟议手术标志的测量值。使用 GraphPad Prism（版本 9.4.1；Dotmatics，马萨诸塞州波士顿，美国）进行描述性统计、Pearson 卡方检验和学生 t 检验来分析数据。
拟议标志到 RLN 的平均距离为 2.3 ± 0.85 毫米。在 95.31%的尸体中，RLN 位于参考点的后下方。在 90.63%的尸体中，RLN 穿过下缩肌下方。左右 RLN 与参考点的关系在统计学上无显著差异。
拟议的参考点可作为定位 RLN 的可靠标志。该参考点可通过提供额外的解剖标志，帮助外科医生进行困难的甲状腺切除术。
