Dimensions of rabbit subglottis and trachea

One of the most challenging problems confronting otolaryngologists today remains the management of subglottic stenosis (SGS) in infants and children. It is a problem of decreased airway calibre, usually associated with prolonged intubation. The pathophysiology of an intubated airway becoming stenotic is not fully understood. Although an ideal animal model for studying SGS does not currently exist, several studies have used the rabbit's airway as a wound healing model. In order to establish such a model in the rabbit, sizes of the normal rabbit larynx must be measured in order to compare them to the diseased airway. Measuring the airway diameters of 35 rabbits ranging from 2.3-5.1 kg, the average airway at the level of the cricoid was found to be 5.81 mm (ventral-dorsal) by 5.41 mm (lateral). These dimensions did not vary significantly with animal weight.