Lateral palpebral raphe

The lateral palpebral raphe is a ligamentous band near the eye. Its existence is contentious, and many sources describe it as the continuation of nearby muscles. It is formed from the lateral ends of the orbicularis oculi muscle. It connects the orbicularis oculi muscle, the frontosphenoidal process of the zygomatic bone, and the tarsi of the eyelids.

Lateral palpebral raphe
The tarsi and their ligaments. Right eye; front view.
Details
Precursororbicularis oculi muscle
Identifiers
Latinraphe palpebralis lateralis
Anatomical terminology

Structure edit

The lateral palpebral raphe is formed from the lateral ends of the orbicularis oculi muscle.[1][2] It may also be formed from the pretarsal muscles of the eyelids.[3][4] It is attached to the margin of the frontosphenoidal process of the zygomatic bone. It passes towards the midline to the lateral commissure of the eyelids. Here, it divides into two slips, which are attached to the margins of the respective tarsi of the eyelids.

The lateral palpebral ligament has a tensile strength of around 12 newtons.[1]

Relations edit

The lateral palpebral raphe is a much weaker structure than the medial palpebral ligament on the other side of the eyelids.

Variation edit

The lateral palpebral raphe may be absent in some people.[2] If it is not present, it is replaced with muscular fibres of orbicularis oculi muscle.[2] It is often very hard to identify as a distinct anatomical feature.[4] Some sources claim that it does not exist.[2][5]

See also edit

References edit

  This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 381 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. ^ a b Hwang, Kun; Nam, Yong Seok; Kim, Dae Joong; Han, Seung Ho; Hwang, Se Ho (March 2009). "Anatomic Study of the Lateral Palpebral Raphe and Lateral Palpebral Ligament". Annals of Plastic Surgery. 62 (3): 232–236. doi:10.1097/SAP.0b013e31817f9e90. ISSN 0148-7043. PMID 19240515. S2CID 206034039.
  2. ^ a b c d Goold, Lucy; Kakizaki, Hirohiko; Malhotra, Raman; Selva, Dinesh (2009). "Absence of lateral palpebral raphe in Caucasians". Clinical Ophthalmology. 3: 391–393. doi:10.2147/opth.s5975. ISSN 1177-5467. PMC 2720677. PMID 19684845.
  3. ^ Rosenstein, Tracy; Talebzadeh, Nojan; Pogrel, M. Anthony (2000-01-01). "Anatomy of the lateral canthal tendon". Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology, and Endodontology. 89 (1): 24–28. doi:10.1016/S1079-2104(00)80009-8. ISSN 1079-2104. PMID 10630937.
  4. ^ a b Muzaffar, Arshad R.; Mendelson, Bryan C.; Adams, William P. (20 September 2001). "Surgical Anatomy of the Ligamentous Attachments of the Lower Lid and Lateral Canthus" (PDF). American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.
  5. ^ Kang, Hyera; Takahashi, Yasuhiro; Ichinose, Akihiro; Nakano, Takashi; Asamoto, Ken; Ikeda, Hiroshi; Iwaki, Masayoshi; Kakizaki, Hirohiko (2012-08-01). "Lateral Canthal Anatomy: A Review". Orbit. 31 (4): 279–285. doi:10.3109/01676830.2012.694957. ISSN 0167-6830. PMID 22690873. S2CID 19675889.