Overview
The cricothyroid membrane, the softer area between the firmer and more prominent thyroid cartilage (Adam’s apple) and the smaller cricoid cartilage, is the portion of the throat used to insert a hollow needle to assist in breathing when other attempts have failed. This procedure is also known as an emergency airway puncture or cricothyrotomy.
Review Date 10/6/2022
Updated by: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.