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muscles contract. This is because the orbit does not face directly forwards- the centre-line of the orbit is a little over 20 degrees out from the mid-line. But because the eyes do face forwards, when acting alone, as well as making the eye look up, superior rectus causes it to rotate slightly about the long axis, so the top of the eye moves medially (intorsion). Similarly, in addition to making the eye look down, inferior rectus would cause the eye to rotate about the long axis so the top of the eye moves slightly laterally (extorsion), if acting alone. Clearly this is undesirable as our vision would rotate when we looked up and down. For this reason, these two rectus muscles work in conjunction with the two obliques. When acting alone, superior oblique causes intorsion, inferior oblique, extorsion. Hence, when inferior rectus contracts so we look down, superior oblique also contracts to prevent extorsion of the eye, and when superior rectus contracts so we look up, inferior oblique contracts to prevent intorsion, thus the undesired rotatory actions of the inferior and superior recti about the long axis of the eye are cancelled out. This keeps our vision horizontally level, irrespective of eye position in the orbit.
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rectus muscle causes this movement more directly and powerfully. The main muscle for abduction is the lateral rectus, so although superior oblique contributes to a downwards and lateral eye movement, testing this motion would not be specific enough as inferior and lateral recti muscles would also be tested. Therefore, during neurological examinations, the superior oblique is tested by having the patient look inwards and downwards, testing only the depressing action of the muscle. This is a source of confusion on the subject as although clinical testing asks the patient to adduct and depress the eye, anatomically the muscle depresses and abducts it.
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The great importance of intorsion and extorsion produced by the two oblique muscles can only be understood when it is considered with regards to the other muscle actions present. The two obliques prevent the eye from rotating about its long axis (retina to pupil) when the superior and inferior rectus
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The depressing action of superior oblique (making the eye look down towards the mouth) is most effective when the eye is in an adducted position. This is because as the eye is abducted (looks laterally), the contribution made by superior oblique to depression of the eye decreases, as the inferior
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The primary (main) action of the superior oblique muscle is intorsion (internal rotation), the secondary action is depression (primarily in the adducted position) and the tertiary action is abduction (lateral rotation).
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have more than one action due to the angle they make with the optical axis of the eye while inserting into the eyeball. The superior and inferior oblique muscles make an angle of 51 degrees with the optical axis.
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Wilson, M. E., Eustis, H. S., & Parks, M. M. (1989). Brown’s syndrome. Survey of
Ophthalmology, 34(3), 153–172. doi:10.1016/0039-6257(89)90100-8
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Surgical operations of the superior oblique include tenotomy, recession, silicone expander lengthening, split tendon lengthening, tucking, and the
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Dr. Robert Acland's Atlas of Human
Anatomy, University of Louisville. Volume 5: Head and Neck Part 2, Section 5: The Eye and its Surroundings.
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The extraocular muscles rotate the eyeball around vertical, horizontal and antero-posterior axes. Extraocular muscles other than the
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The contiguous surfaces of the tendon and ring are lined by a delicate mucous sheath, and enclosed in a thin fibrous investment.
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A montage of five pictures of the right eye of a male subject with partial heterochromia, demonstrating torsional eye movement
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The superior oblique arises immediately above the margin of the optic foramen, superior and medial to the origin of the
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Dissection showing origins of right ocular muscles, and nerves entering by the superior orbital fissure.
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404:(i.e. from beside the nose) which abducts, depresses and internally rotates the eye. It is the only
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Knowledge articles incorporating text from the 20th edition of Gray's
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is an uncommon neurological condition caused by vascular compression of the
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resulting in repeated, brief, involuntary episodes of movement of the eye.
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The superior oblique muscle loops through a pulley-like structure (the
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to the lateral part of the bulb of the eye, and is inserted onto the
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Superior oblique palsy is a common complication of closed
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305:(medial rotation); secondary actions are to abduct and
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at Human
Anatomy Online, SUNY Downstate Medical Center
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116:Learn how and when to remove this message
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935:Levator palpebrae superioris muscle
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1100:Suspensory ligament of eyeball
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910:Trochlea of superior oblique
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412:(the fourth cranial nerve).
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372:Anatomical terms of muscle
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455:The tendon is reflected
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646:superior oblique muscle
394:obliquus oculi superior
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274:Lateral muscular branch
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885:Superior rectus muscle
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614:inferior rectus muscle
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534:Clinical significance
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900:Medial rectus muscle
598:medial rectus muscle
561:Harada-Ito procedure
50:improve this article
1465:Levator anguli oris
998:Lacrimal canaliculi
422:Extraocular muscles
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990:Lacrimal apparatus
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301:Primary action is
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567:Additional images
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219:Sagittal section
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748:. 19 July 2021.
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241:Sphenoid bone
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177:Other muscle:
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143:Recti muscles
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67: –
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61:Find sources:
55:
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39:This article
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1633:Styloglossus
1616:Genioglossus
1563:
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1045:Lacrimal sac
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857:Ethmoid bone
837:Frontal bone
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497:Eye movement
467:beneath the
454:
451:
447:frontal bone
440:
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341:A15.2.07.016
328:
247:, medial to
245:orbital apex
184:
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103:
93:
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72:
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48:Please help
43:verification
40:
1556:Soft palate
1475:Zygomaticus
1370:occipitalis
1228:Masticatory
1159:Extraocular
1078:Conjunctiva
540:head trauma
318:Identifiers
249:optic canal
205:Optic nerve
1710:Categories
1664:Transverse
1621:Hyoglossus
1510:Buccinator
1279:masseteric
1245:Temporalis
1095:Periorbita
708:References
495:See also:
465:inferiorly
420:See also:
76:newspapers
1647:Intrinsic
1609:Extrinsic
1375:frontalis
1332:posterior
1317:Auricular
1257:Pterygoid
724:page 1022
461:laterally
416:Structure
303:intorsion
256:Insertion
221:of right
1669:Vertical
1533:Mentalis
1505:Risorius
1421:Procerus
1327:superior
1322:anterior
1284:temporal
1240:Masseter
1194:inferior
1189:superior
1177:superior
1172:inferior
491:Function
457:caudally
193:Trochlea
173:inferior
169:superior
153:inferior
149:superior
106:May 2015
1700:Anatomy
1574:levator
1426:Nasalis
1262:lateral
1204:lateral
1167:Oblique
1149:of the
1147:Muscles
1071:Unibrow
1066:Eyebrow
975:Canthus
965:Eyelash
877:Muscles
821:of the
477:eyeball
473:scleral
311:eyeball
307:depress
297:Actions
276:of the
262:eyeball
243:at the
230:Details
203:, 12 =
199:, 11 =
195:, 10 =
161:lateral
90:scholar
1686:Portal
1601:Tongue
1569:tensor
1353:eyelid
1300:Facial
1274:Fascia
1267:medial
1199:medial
1184:Rectus
940:Tarsus
927:Eyelid
732:(1918)
463:, and
269:Artery
236:Origin
201:Sclera
191:, 7 =
171:, 8 =
159:, 5 =
157:medial
155:, 4 =
151:, 3 =
92:
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1485:minor
1480:major
1453:Mouth
1349:Scalp
1059:Other
830:Bones
819:orbit
722:from
402:orbit
396:is a
376:[
365:49039
324:Latin
285:Nerve
97:JSTOR
83:books
1413:Nose
1151:head
817:The
509:and
483:and
388:The
353:2048
336:TA98
309:the
187:1 =
179:9 =
167:6 =
147:2 =
69:news
1309:Ear
823:eye
392:or
360:FMA
348:TA2
52:by
1712::
563:.
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