Question

A singer presents with problems in high pitch. On examination, bowing of one side vocal cord is seen. Which of the following muscles is affected?

• A. Posterior cricoarytenoid
• B. Lateral cricoarytenoid
• C. Cricothyroid
• D. Thyroarytenoid

Hint:

The cricothyroid muscle controls the tension of the vocal cords and is crucial for pitch regulation. Weakness of this muscle can lead to difficulties in high-pitched voice production.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

When a singer is experiencing problems reaching high pitches and examination reveals bowing of one side of the vocal cord, the muscle likely affected is the cricothyroid muscle. This can be explained as follows:

The cricothyroid muscle plays a vital role in modulating the pitch of the voice. It is responsible for increasing the tension of the vocal cords by tilting the thyroid cartilage, which stretches the vocal cords. This stretching is essential for producing higher pitch sounds. If the cricothyroid muscle is compromised, the tension on the vocal cords cannot be properly adjusted, leading to difficulties in reaching high notes.

In this scenario, bowing of the vocal cord suggests a loss of tension, aligning with dysfunction in the cricothyroid muscle. Other muscles listed, like the posterior cricoarytenoid, lateral cricoarytenoid, and thyroarytenoid, do not primarily contribute to adjusting tension for pitch modulation as the cricothyroid does.

Thus, the affected muscle causing problems with high pitch in this case is the cricothyroid.