A histological and histochemical study of the cricopharyngeus muscle in man
Bonington, A.; Mahon, M.; Whitmore, I.
Journal of Anatomy 156: 27-37
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-8782 PMID: 2971031 Document Number: 308257
The human cricopharyngeus muscle was investigated by dissection and by histological, histochemical and morphometric methods. Muscle fibres in the cricopharyngeus were found to be similar in appearance to those of the lateral part of the quadriceps femoris, although they were generally much smaller and more variable in size. The endomysial connective tissue was markedly enhanced in the cricopharyngeus and muscle spindles were not found. Certain features normally considered to be pathological in limb skeletal muscle were also noted in the cricopharyngeus muscles. In the cricopharyngeus the fibre type population consisted mainly of histochemically "slow-twitch" richly oxidative fibres. This finding is consistant with the proposed function of this muscle in its sphincteric role in deglutition, vomiting, eructation and in the control of aerophagia.