Restoration of Abduction in the Paralyzed Canine Vocal Cord

Abstract

Abductive ability was restored in unilaterally paralyzed canine larynges by means of a modification of the nerve-muscle pedicle technique of Tucker et al, utilizing the motor branch to the sternohyoid muscle. Excellent abduction was achieved both with spontaneous respiration and with electrical stimulation of the implanted motor nerve. This technique might be applied clinically to avoid the need for arytenoid mobilization in patients suffering from bilateral vocal cord paralysis, thus, preserving voice function.