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Muscles of the Eye01:20

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The muscles of the eye are sophisticated structures that control eye movement and focus, allowing for the precise and rapid adjustments necessary for vision. The human eye is controlled by ten muscles — six extraocular muscles, three intraocular muscles, and one primary eyelid retractor muscle.
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Nonclassical innervation patterns in mammalian extraocular muscles.

Roberta M da Silva Costa1, Jennifer Kung, Vadims Poukens

  • 1Department of Ophthalmology, University of California-Los Angeles, Jules Stein Eye Institute, 100 Stein Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7002, USA.

Current Eye Research
|May 8, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Extraocular muscles (EOMs) have a novel innervation pattern with nonclassical nerves entering posteriorly. This previously undescribed EOM innervation may have mixed motor and proprioceptive functions.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Ophthalmology
  • Anatomy

Background:

  • Extraocular muscles (EOMs) are innervated by cranial nerves (CNs) 3, 4, and 6.
  • Classical descriptions state motor nerves enter EOMs in their middle thirds.
  • The abducens (CN6), oculomotor (CN3), and trochlear (CN4) nerves innervate specific EOMs via distinct surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate extraocular muscle (EOM) innervation patterns that deviate from the classic description.
  • To identify and characterize nonclassical (NC) nerve pathways within EOMs.

Main Methods:

  • Serial sectioning and Masson's trichrome staining of orbits from human, monkey, cow, and rabbit.
  • Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunohistochemistry to identify motor nerves.
  • Three-dimensional reconstruction of EOM innervation pathways.

Main Results:

  • Nonclassical (NC) nerves were found to enter EOMs posterior to classical motor nerves.
  • NC nerves primarily arborized within the orbital layer (OL) of EOMs, sometimes extending into the global layer or adjacent muscles.
  • Some NC nerves originated in the orbital apex, entered EOMs via their orbital surface, and anastomosed with classical nerves.

Conclusions:

  • EOMs exhibit an undocumented pattern of NC innervation originating in the proximal orbit.
  • This NC innervation preferentially targets the orbital layer (OL) and may serve supplemental motor or proprioceptive roles.
  • The precise origin of this novel NC innervation remains undetermined.