A 38-year-old man has had thyroid surgery to remove his papillary carcinoma. The external laryngeal nerve that accompanies the superior thyroid aery is damaged during the surgery.This injury could result in a severe impairment of function of which of the following
The External laryngeal nerve innervates the cricothyroid muscle (major tensor), which tenses the vocal cord. Hence damage to this nerve will lead to inability to tense the vocal cords.
Relaxing the vocal cords
Rotating the arytenoid cailages
Tensing the vocal cords
Widening the rima glottidis
Pharynx, larynx and trachea and cranial nerves 3,4,6