Bilateral Vocal Cord Fixation

Bilateral vocal cord fixation is the immobility of both vocal cords due to a scarring rather than paralytic cause. The scarring might manifest as a synechia that tethers the vocal cords to each other and prevents them from separating during breathing. Or it could mean that both cricoarytenoid joints are ankylosed, or “frozen.”

The most common cause is prolonged endotracheal intubation, such as in gravely ill or injured persons, who may spend weeks in an intensive care unit and on a ventilator. Vocal cord fixation can rarely be caused by rheumatoid arthritis. It is also seen infrequently as a progressive, late complication of radiation therapy for larynx cancer.