Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury

Excerpt

The recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) branches off the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) and has an indirect course through the neck. It supplies innervation to all of the intrinsic muscles of the larynx, except for the cricothyroid muscles, as well as sensation to the larynx below the level of the vocal cords. The right RLN branches from CN X around the level of T1-T2 loops under the right subclavian artery traveling posteriorly, and moves back up through the neck. The left RLN arises anteriorly at the level of the arch of the aorta and loops posteriorly under the aortic arch and back up through the neck. Overall, the anatomical course of the recurrent laryngeal nerve is important to understand as it shows the many areas that the nerve might be injured.