Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26528734›Full record

ArticleThyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association2016

Is the External Branch of the Superior Laryngeal Nerve Dispensable in Thyroid Surgery?

David Folk, Basim Wahba, Clarence T Sasaki

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 27% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

David Folk1 Yale Larynx Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Section of Otolaryngology, Yale School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut.
Basim Wahba2 Department of Otolaryngology, Cairo University of Egypt , Cairo, Egypt .
Clarence T Sasaki1 Yale Larynx Laboratory, Department of Surgery, Section of Otolaryngology, Yale School of Medicine , New Haven, Connecticut.
Cairo University · EG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is growing evidence that the external branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (eSLN) participates in thyroarytenoid (TA) contraction, but little data quantify its role in vocal cord adduction. Injury to the eSLN, such as in thyroid surgery, is difficult to diagnose and likely underappreciated. It is the authors' belief that eSLN injury contributes to aspiration by depriving its contribution to the laryngeal plexus. The goal of this study was to measure the glottic closing force (GCF) from eSLN stimulation in a porcine model.

methodsThe recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) and eSLN were identified bilaterally in four porcine necks. Bilateral RLNs and eSLNs were stimulated simultaneously to obtain a control GCF using a pressure transducer placed in the glottis. Subsequently, bilateral eSLNs were stimulated and the GCF measured to quantify its percent contribution to the control value.

resultsStimulation of the RLNs and the eSLNs each led to TA muscle contraction and a measureable GCF in all four porcine necks. The control GCF was 1000.1 mmHg, while the eSLN mediated CGF was 800 mmHg. The percentage GCF attributable to the eSLN was thus 800/1000 = 80%.

conclusionsReflex glottic closure is one of the most important mechanisms for the prevention of aspiration during deglutition. The biomechanical quantification of glottic closure can be shown as the GCF. This study has shown that the eSLN contributes in a significant way to the GCF in a porcine model, a finding that has not been quantified to the best of the authors' knowledge. Therefore, greater focus should be placed on preserving this nerve in thyroid surgery.

Indexed as

Muscle ContractionAnimalsBiomechanical PhenomenaDeglutitionElectric StimulationGlottisLaryngeal MusclesLaryngeal Nerve InjuriesLaryngeal NervesModels, AnimalPressureRecurrent Laryngeal NerveReflexRespiratory Aspiration of Gastric ContentsSwineThyroid Gland

Identifiers

PMID26528734
PMCPMC4739347
OpenAlexW2180145067

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.