Steven Tyler’s Career-Ending Throat Injury: What Is a Laryngeal Fracture?

Aerosmith’s mid-tour announcement that the band was retiring after five decades has shed light on a little-known issue facing frontman Steven Tyler.

On Friday, the band announced on their website and X account that Tyler’s ongoing vocal issues led them to the “heartbreaking” decision to stop performing.

“As you know, Steven’s voice is an instrument like no other,” the statement read.

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“He spent months working tirelessly to get his voice back to what it was before his injury. We saw him struggle despite having the best medical team by his side.”

“Unfortunately, it is clear that a full recovery of his vocal injury “This is not possible. We have made a heartbreaking and difficult, but necessary, decision as a band of brothers to retire from the touring scene.”

Prior to the tour’s cancellation, the band had postponed some dates of its “Peace Out” farewell tour after Tyler damaged his vocal cords during a performance on September 10, according to reports.

“I am heartbroken to announce that I have been given strict doctor’s orders not to sing for the next 30 days,” Tyler, 75, posted on Instagram.

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“I suffered vocal cord damage during Saturday’s show, which resulted in subsequent bleeding. We will have to reschedule a few dates so we can come back and give you the performance you deserve.”

“Unfortunately, it is clear that a full recovery from his vocal injury is not possible.”

Later in September, the band posted on Facebook that Tyler’s injury was “more serious than initially thought.”

“His doctor confirmed that in addition to the damage to his vocal cords, he fractured his larynx, which requires ongoing care.”

What is a laryngeal fracture?

The larynx, also known as the voice box, is a hollow tube that runs vertically down the middle of the neck, above the trachea and esophagus, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

As part of the respiratory system, it also helps prevent food from entering the trachea during breathing.

The larynx is essential for breathing and producing vocal sounds, says the Cleveland Clinic.

A laryngeal fracture, which Tyler suffered, is rare, but it can occur when a blunt external force is applied to the voice box, according to Joel E. Portnoy, MD, a laryngologist and otolaryngologist at ENT and Allergy Associates in Lake Success, New York.

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“After about 30 years, the cartilage in the larynx becomes bone, which is more fragile and prone to fracture,” Portnoy told Fox News Digital via email.

“This can be life-threatening if the injuries extend internally and may require emergency surgery to repair.”

According to Medscape, patients with laryngeal trauma typically experience hoarseness, neck pain, shortness of breath, loss of voice, and pain when speaking or swallowing.

For a singer, a broken larynx can have “devastating consequences,” Portnoy said.

“In the best case, internal swelling can cause temporary hoarseness, but in rare cases, irreparable damage can occur, permanently impairing the ability to sing or speak,” he said.

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“Fortunately, most laryngeal fractures are minor and respond to voice rest, humidification, close monitoring and sometimes steroids to manage them,” the doctor added.

In some severe cases, surgery may be necessary.

In general, most vocal injuries are due to local tissue trauma, such as vocal cord hemorrhage (bleeding below the surface) or mucosal tears (such as an abrasion to the surface of the vocal cords), Portnoy says.

“These problems usually go away with absolute voice rest, moistening and time,” he said.

For singers and others who depend on their voice for their profession, prompt diagnosis and management are essential, Portnoy advised.

“General prevention of vocal injuries includes vocal warm-up, humidification and hydration, and using good vocal techniques,” he said.

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“We always recommend listening to your body: if you feel a change in your voice, or if you feel fatigue, tension or pain, it is usually time to refrain from using your voice.”

Aerosmith aren’t the only band to recently announce the cancellation of a tour due to illness.

“If you feel a change in your voice, or if you feel fatigue, tension, or pain, it is usually time to refrain from using your voice.”

Last month, Eddie Vedder and members of Pearl Jam canceled a series of shows during the European leg of their Dark Matter world tour, citing recovery from an ongoing “illness” within the band.

In June, Neil Young, 78, and his band Crazy Horse announced they were taking an “unplanned hiatus” due to illness among several band members.

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Also in June, country music star Mark Chesnutt announced the cancellation of his tour while he recovers from emergency quadruple heart bypass surgery.

Fox News Digital’s Janelle Ash, Tracy Wright and Christina Dugan Ramirez contributed reporting.