Which functional defects may result from this injury?
The nerve accompanying the superior thyroid artery may be damaged during an operation on the thyroid gland.

Decreased tension of the vocal cord-the superior thyroid artery is accompanied by the external laryngeal nerve, which innervates the cricothyroid muscle. paralysis of this muscle due to a lesion of the external laryngeal nerve decreases tension of the vocal cord. loss of sensation above the vocal cord is due to injury of the internal laryngeal nerve. the posterior crycoarytenoid muscle draws the muscular process of the arytenoid cartilage posteriorly and thereby rotates its vocal process laterally. paralysis of the vocalis muscle is due to a lesion of the recurrent laryngeal nerve. lack of abduction of the vocal cord results from paralysis of the posterior cricoarytenoid muscle.