The anatomy of the subglottic larynx.

There is little concensus concerning the boundaries of the subglottic space. To better define the subglottis, 50 head and neck surgeons were asked to define its anatomic limits. In addition, the larynx of each of 50 adult cadavers was removed and four measurements in the anterior subglottis were taken. The results revealed significantly smaller subglottic dimensions for women than for men. In most women, the cricothyroid membrane was situated less than 1 cm from the glottis in the anterior midline.