[Catalog of direct eye muscle injuries]

Eye muscle injuries may occur in isolation or concomitantly with orbital fractures. Depending on their mechanical cause they may be encountered in the form of contusions, overextensions or injuries caused by stabbing or cutting. The authors present case histories from their own patient collective in this order, supplemented by a number of cases described in the literature. Particular attention is paid to the superior oblique, injuries to which are almost without exception trochlear or pretrochlear. The special anatomy of the tendon is a factor that may explain restrictions in motility in upward and downward gaze (dysfunctions). Certain severe cases are described and the principles of reconstructive surgery are discussed.