Specialties

Definition

The muscles that control the movement of the eye are called the extraocular muscles. The six extraocular muscles are named by their location on the eye. These positions determine the direction of movement of the eyeball when the muscles contract.

  • The medial rectus muscle rotates the eye inward toward the nose.
  • The lateral rectus muscle rotates the eye outward toward the temple.
  • The superior rectus muscle is the primary muscle responsible for turning the eye upward.
  • The inferior rectus muscle is the primary muscle responsible for turning the eye downward.
  • The superior oblique muscle rotates the eye both downward and outward toward the temple.
  • The inferior oblique muscle rotates the eye upward and outward toward the temple.

Movement of the eye in most directions usually requires the coordinated contraction and/or relaxation of two or more muscles. For example, when a person looks toward the nose, the medial rectus contracts while the lateral rectus relaxes.

The eyes are kept in visual alignment by the coordinated contraction and relaxation of the six pairs of external ocular muscles. When the eyes are directed toward a single target and are perfectly aligned, binocular vision results. The brain blends the separated images received by the two eyes so that the person perceives a single view, a process called fusion.

Weakness, paralysis, or other restrictions of an extraocular muscle in one eye may prevent coordinated movement of that eye in relation to the other. If the extraocular muscles do not work in a coordinated manner, the eyes become misaligned and vision may be disturbed, a condition called strabismus. If the misalignment is significant, the brain may be unable to fuse the two images, which results in double vision.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call our clinic at 920-327-7000 or 1-877-462-9465 (1-877-IN-A WINK).

Quick Links

Click the links below to learn more about some of the conditions Green Bay Eye Clinic physicians specialize in.

Cataracts

Blepharoplasty

Glaucoma

Extraocular Muscles

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP)

Retinal Detachment

Ocular Histoplasmosis

If there is a condition not listed here that you would like to be consulted about, contact us.