Local control of murine subglottis development

Growth of the subglottis is under local control but may have additional influences from the outside that were not investigated here. Removal of just the epithelium stunts growth of the entire ring, but preferentially the lumen more so than the external diameter. Removal of all tissue layers around the cricoid cartilage results in a structural collapse of the ring, suggesting that the cartilage in this age group is dependent on surrounding tissues for structural integrity.