Comparison of the Superior and Inferior Rectus Muscles in Humans: An Anatomical Study with Notes on Morphology, Anatomical Variations, and Intramuscular Innervation Patterns

<div>Variant muscular slip (marked as double white asterisks) connecting the superior and inferior rectus muscles. Lateral view of the specimen harvested from the left orbit (the lateral rectus muscle has been removed). In this case, a tendinous band (marked as a white arrow) arose from the muscular bridge and attached to the common tendinous ring. An atypical muscular connection between the superior (SR) and inferior (IR) rectus muscles occupies the position lateral to the optic nerve (CNII). The nerve to the inferior oblique (NIO) muscle pierces the inferior rectus muscle. <svg height="9.5404pt" id="M13" style="vertical-align:-0.2324991pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -9.3079 73.4383 9.5404" width="73.4383pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M409 504C401 567 396 607 392 642C354 654 312 665 266 665C137 665 60 583 60 487C60 374 161 325 225 290C300 250 355 215 355 141C355 68 311 21 235 21C131 21 86 122 71 183L41 176C48 128 61 42 68 21C78 16 93 8 118 0C142 -7 175 -15 216 -15C349 -15 438 69 438 174C438 287 344 333 265 374C186 414 138 449 138 522C138 576 172 631 249 631C336 631 363 562 380 499L409 504Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,6.345,0)"><path d="M390 111C344 68 312 56 269 56C212 56 118 102 118 241C118 346 175 401 241 401C277 401 312 388 342 360C350 352 355 349 361 349C372 349 394 371 394 392C394 403 391 411 378 422C362 436 329 449 288 449H287C250 449 190 432 138 392C71 341 37 274 37 197C37 90 112 -12 238 -12C297 -12 363 32 407 90L390 111Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.883,0)"><path d="M433 39L423 65C413 59 399 54 387 54C370 54 352 69 352 114V299C352 352 342 392 307 422C285 440 255 449 225 449C168 437 102 399 75 379C56 365 44 353 44 339C44 315 69 296 87 296C101 296 111 303 116 319C124 349 133 371 145 385C156 397 171 404 190 404C241 404 275 364 275 291V274C253 256 180 229 120 209C65 190 39 159 39 110C39 47 88 -12 159 -12C189 -12 237 25 277 52C282 35 288 21 301 8C312 -3 333 -12 348 -12L433 39ZM275 84C256 65 221 48 195 48C164 48 124 73 124 124C124 161 146 180 185 198C206 208 254 229 275 240V84Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,17.655,0)"><path d="M238 0V26C174 32 166 38 166 104V712C132 700 70 683 18 677V653C81 647 87 645 87 577V104C87 38 78 32 15 26V0H238Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,20.944,0)"><path d="M380 106C343 72 306 56 265 56C195 56 116 112 115 248C235 252 361 262 377 265C396 269 400 277 400 297C400 374 333 449 250 449H249C198 449 144 421 103 376S37 269 37 201C37 88 109 -12 232 -12C263 -12 332 6 395 84L380 106ZM225 412C281 412 315 364 314 312C314 297 308 292 290 292C232 290 176 289 120 289C135 370 180 412 225 412Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,28.742,0)"><path d="M152 404V712C115 698 54 683 7 677V654C71 648 73 642 73 579V24C128 -2 179 -12 220 -12C353 -12 471 92 471 238C471 357 381 449 274 449C262 449 249 446 233 439L152 404ZM152 374C170 384 202 393 230 393C313 393 382 326 382 213C382 97 330 26 246 26C194 26 165 62 158 81C154 91 152 101 152 116V374Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,35.412,0)"><path d="M433 39L423 65C413 59 399 54 387 54C370 54 352 69 352 114V299C352 352 342 392 307 422C285 440 255 449 225 449C168 437 102 399 75 379C56 365 44 353 44 339C44 315 69 296 87 296C101 296 111 303 116 319C124 349 133 371 145 385C156 397 171 404 190 404C241 404 275 364 275 291V274C253 256 180 229 120 209C65 190 39 159 39 110C39 47 88 -12 159 -12C189 -12 237 25 277 52C282 35 288 21 301 8C312 -3 333 -12 348 -12L433 39ZM275 84C256 65 221 48 195 48C164 48 124 73 124 124C124 161 146 180 185 198C206 208 254 229 275 240V84Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,41.001,0)"><path d="M181 342V451C133 431 89 419 40 411V388C98 381 102 377 102 311V104C102 38 95 32 33 26V0H263V26C186 32 181 38 181 104V287C203 343 235 372 261 372C277 372 289 366 304 352C310 346 318 345 330 350C349 359 362 379 362 399C362 422 338 449 304 449C256 449 213 393 183 342H181Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,49.52,0)"><path d="M535 323V373H52V323H535ZM535 138V188H52V138H535Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,60.783,0)"><path d="M384 0V27C293 34 287 42 287 114V635C232 613 172 594 109 583V559L157 557C201 555 205 550 205 499V114C205 42 199 34 109 27V0H384Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,67.023,0)"><path d="M241 635C89 635 35 457 35 312C35 153 89 -12 240 -12C390 -12 443 166 443 312C443 466 390 635 241 635ZM238 602C329 602 354 454 354 312C354 172 330 22 240 22C152 22 124 173 124 313S148 602 238 602Z"></path></g></svg> mm. ID: inferior branch of the oculomotor nerve; IO: inferior oblique muscle; LPS: levator palpebrae superioris muscle, OA: ophthalmic artery (cut).</div>

BioMed Research International

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Figure 4

Figure 4: Comparison of the Superior and Inferior Rectus Muscles in Humans: An Anatomical Study with Notes on Morphology, Anatomical Variations, and Intramuscular Innervation Patterns 

Figure 4 | Comparison of the Superior and Inferior Rectus Muscles in Humans: An Anatomical Study with Notes on Morphology, Anatomical Variations, and Intramuscular Innervation Patterns 