Abstract
The silver impregnation method developed by Barker was used to investigate proprioceptors in human intrinsic laryngeal muscles. The posterior cricoarytenoid and interarytenoid muscles were obtained from the laryngectomy specimen of a 65-year-old male patient suffering from laryngeal cancer. Under a light microscope, receptors which are accompanied by special terminal apparatuses, including muscle spindles, Golgi tendon organs and spiral nerve endings, were observed as well as free nerve endings which have no special terminal apparatus. In other words, the intrinsic laryngeal muscles investigated had all types of proprioceptors like other skeletal muscles. These findings may renew our understanding of physiological meanings of proprioceptors in the intrinsic laryngeal muscles.
