arytenoid cartilage

one of a pair of small triangular pyramidal laryngeal cartilages that articulate with the lamina of the cricoid cartilage. It gives attachment at its anteriorly-directed vocal process to the posterior part of the corresponding vocal ligament and to several muscles at its laterally-directed muscular process. The base of the cartilage is hyaline but the apex is elastic. Syn: cartilago arytenoidea [NA], triquetrous cartilage(2).