Application of Porcine Larynx in Laryngeal Microsurgery Training

To make an anatomical comparison between porcine and human laryngeal structures, and evaluate suitability for microsurgical training in the porcine larynx.

Thirty Landrace pig larynges underwent muscle-dissection to expose thyroid cartilage, cricoid cartilage, and intrinsic laryngeal structures. Quantitative analysis was conducted comparing porcine cartilage dimensional data with human specimens. Histological evaluation of vocal fold architecture was performed using hematoxylin-eosin (H-E) and Masson staining. The laryngeal internal structures were exposed using a laryngeal fixation stent and a surgical microscope to evaluate the accessibility for microsurgical operations. The applicability of cold dissection, CO₂ laser, fiber-contact laser, and plasma scalpel were evaluated for microsurgical training.

The average size of the thyroid cartilage in 6-month-old pigs is 62.8 mm (length) × 42.0 mm (width), equivalent to 110.5-136.2% of the size of human larynx. Histological staining results reveal distinct structural differences between the superior and inferior vocal folds. The inferior vocal fold contains muscle bundle, while the superior vocal fold is rich in connective tissue and lacks muscle bundle. Under a surgical microscope, the superior and inferior vocal folds and the laryngeal ventricle can be clearly exposed. Common clinical techniques such as vocal mucosal dissection, vocal fold resection, and microsurgical suturing can be precisely simulated in the porcine larynx.

The structure of the porcine larynx was similar to that of the human larynx. The larger overall structure was more conducive to the laryngeal microsurgery training of otolaryngologists.