Evidence for rectus extraocular muscle pulleys in rodents

Extraocular rectus muscle (EOM) pulleys are important determinants of orbital biomechanics in humans. In this study, the authors evaluated orbital connective tissue morphology, specifically characterizing rectus muscle pulleys, in the rat, a species with laterally placed eyes, afoveate vision, and a less complex visuomotor repertoire than primates.

Adult rat orbits were paraffin processed and serially sectioned for histochemical and immunohistochemical staining. Frozen sections of enucleated globes with intact EOMs and associated connective tissue were also studied with myosin immunohistochemistry and histochemistry for the mitochondrial enzyme, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH)-tetrazolium reductase, to delineate the orbital layer relationship with the pulley tissue.

Focal condensations of collagenous connective tissue were found in relationship to the rectus muscles in the equatorial Tenon's fascia, similar to those described as human recti muscle pulleys. The fibroelastic pulley rings were coupled to adjacent EOM pulleys by bands containing collagen and elastin. The coupling of pulleys to the orbital walls was significantly less than that previously described in humans. As in humans, there was a dual insertion of rodent rectus muscles, with the orbital layer inserting on the muscle pulley and the global layer attaching to the sclera.

The data support the presence of structures in the rat orbit that are the morphologic equivalent of the human rectus pulley system. Although rodent and human pulleys were similar in many respects, there were species-specific properties that may relate to established differences in orbital anatomy and/or visuomotor behavior. These data extend the rectus muscle pulley concept to rodents and may provide insight into pulley structure-function relationships.