Objectives/HypothesisHigh‐resolution manometry (HRM) is useful in identifying disordered swallowing patterns and quantifying pharyngeal and upper esophageal sphincter (UES) physiology. HRM is limited by unidirectional sensors and circumferential averaging of pressures, resulting in an imperfect understanding of pressure from asymmetrical pharyngeal anatomy. This study aims to evaluate UES pressures simultaneously from different axial directions.Study DesignCase series.MethodsThree‐dimensional HRM was performed on eight healthy subjects to evaluate circumferential UES pressure patterns at rest, during the Valsalva maneuver, and during water swallowing.ResultsMultivariate analysis of the variance revealed a significant main effect of circumferential direction on pressure while at rest (P < .001); pressure was greater in the anterior and posterior portions of the UES versus lateral portions. A significant main effect of direction on pressure was not found during the Valsalva maneuver. During swallowing of a 5‐mL water bolus, circumferential direction had a significant main effect on pressure immediately before UES pressure dropped (P = .001), while the UES was open (P = .01) and at UES closure (P < .001). There was also a significant main effect of sensor level along the vertical axis on pressure immediately before UES pressure dropped (P = .032) and at UES closure (P < .001). Anterior and posterior pressures were again greater than lateral pressures at all swallowing events.ConclusionsThese results confirm that UES pressures vary significantly based on their circumferential origin, with the majority of the total pressure generated in anterior and posterior regions. Improved understanding of UES pressure in a three‐dimensional space can lead to more sophisticated treatments for pharyngeal and UES dysfunction.Level of Evidence4. Laryngoscope, 126:2539–2545, 2016

The biphasic effects of liquid on tissue biomechanics are well known in cartilage and vocal folds, yet not extensively in other tissue types. Past studies have shown that tissue dehydration significantly impacts biomechanical properties and that rehydration can restore these properties in certain tissue types. However, these studies failed to consider how temporal exposure to dehydrating or rehydrating agents may alter tissue rehydration capacity, as overexposure to dehydration may permanently prevent rehydration to the initial liquid volume. Select porcine tissues were dehydrated until they reached between 100% and 40% of their initial mass. Each sample was allowed to rehydrate for 5 hours in a 0.9% saline solution, and the percent change between the initial and rehydrated mass values was calculated. Spearman correlation tests indicated a greater loss in mass despite rehydration when tissues were previously exposed to greater levels of dehydration. Additionally, Pearson correlation tests indicated the total liquid mass of samples after complete rehydration decreased when previously exposed to higher levels of dehydration. Rehydration rates were found by dehydrating tissues to 40% of their initial mass followed by rehydration in a 0.9% saline solution for 60 minutes, with mass measurements occurring in 15 minute intervals. All tissues rehydrated nonlinearly, most increasing significantly in mass up to 30 minutes after initial soaking. This study suggests the ability for tissues to rehydrate is dependent on the level of initial dehydration exposure. In vitro rehydration experiments therefore require controlled dosage and temporal exposure to dehydrating and rehydrating agents to avoid incomplete rehydration, and caution should be taken when combining different tissue types in models of hydration.

Objective Determine the permeability of excised canine vocal fold lamina propria Study Design Basic Science Methods Vocal folds were excised from canine larynges and mounted within a device to measure the flow of 0.9% saline through the tissue over time. The resultant fluid volume displaced over time was then used in a variation of Darcy’s law to calculate the permeability of the tissue. Permeability was found through each anatomical plane of the vocal fold, with 5 samples per plane. Permeability was also found for lamina propria stretched to 10%, 20%, and 30% of initial length to determine the effects of tensile strain on permeability, with 5 samples per level of strain. Results Permeability was found to be 1.40×10−13 m3s/kg through the sagittal plane, 1.00×10−13 m3s/kg through the coronal plane, and 4.02×10−13 m3s/kg through the axial plane. It was significantly greater through the axial plane than both the sagittal (p=0.025) and coronal (p=0.009) planes. Permeability under strain through the sagittal plane was found to be 1.94×10−13 m3s/kg under 10% strain, 3.35×10−13 m3s/kg under 20% strain, and 4.80×10−13 m3s/kg under 30% strain. The permeability significantly increased after 20% strain (p<0.05). Conclusion Permeability in canine vocal fold lamina propria was found to be increased along the anterior-posterior axis, following the length of the vocal folds. This may influence fluid distribution within the lamina propria during and after vibration. Similarly, permeability increased after 20% strain was imposed on the lamina propria, and may influence vocal fold dynamics during certain phonation tasks.