Expansion
Cervical, thoracic and abdominal parts, totalling about 25 cm
Expansion
- Cervical part - from the cricoid cartilage at C6 to the thoracic inlet at T1, about 5 cm
- Thoracic part - the longest, about 18 cm, in the superior and posterior mediastinum
- Abdominal part - from the diaphragm at T10 to the cardia at T11, only 1 to 2 cm
Total length is about 25 cm. Endoscopically, the cricopharyngeus lies at about 15 cm from the incisors and the gastro-oesophageal junction at about 40 cm.
The short abdominal segment matters more than its length suggests: it is exposed to positive intra-abdominal pressure, which helps keep it closed and contributes to the anti-reflux mechanism. Loss of this segment in a hiatus hernia is one reason reflux follows.