Medial rectus
Medial Rectus
The Medial Rectus is one of the six extraocular muscles that control the movements of the eye. It is the largest of the eye's muscles and its primary function is to move the eye towards the nose, a movement known as adduction.
Anatomy[edit | edit source]
The Medial Rectus originates from the Annulus of Zinn, also known as the common tendinous ring, which is located at the apex of the orbit. From there, it extends forward to insert into the medial, or nasal, side of the eyeball. The muscle is innervated by the oculomotor nerve, specifically its inferior division.
Function[edit | edit source]
The primary action of the Medial Rectus is adduction, or movement of the eye towards the nose. It is the only muscle capable of pure adduction and is most active when the eye is in an abducted position.
Clinical significance[edit | edit source]
Damage to the Medial Rectus can result in a range of eye movement disorders, including strabismus, a condition in which the eyes do not properly align with each other when looking at an object. Treatment for such conditions may involve surgery to correct the alignment of the muscles.
See also[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
| Fibrous tunic (outer) |
|   | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uvea/vascular tunic (middle) |
| ||||||
| Retina (inner) |
| ||||||
| Anatomical regions of the eye |
| ||||||
| Other | |||||||
| Medial rectus Resources | |
|---|---|
|
 |
Search WikiMD
Ad.Tired of being Overweight? Try W8MD's physician weight loss program.
Semaglutide (Ozempic / Wegovy and Tirzepatide (Mounjaro / Zepbound) available.
Advertise on WikiMD
|
WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia |
| Let Food Be Thy Medicine Medicine Thy Food - Hippocrates |
Translate this page: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
தமிழ்,
తెలుగు,
Urdu,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
বাংলা
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
Greek,
português do Brasil,
polski,
română,
русский,
Nederlands,
norsk,
svenska,
suomi,
Italian
Middle Eastern & African
عربى,
Turkish,
Persian,
Hebrew,
Afrikaans,
isiZulu,
Kiswahili,
Other
Bulgarian,
Hungarian,
Czech,
Swedish,
മലയാളം,
मराठी,
ਪੰਜਾਬੀ,
ગુજરાતી,
Portuguese,
Ukrainian
Medical Disclaimer: WikiMD is not a substitute for professional medical advice. The information on WikiMD is provided as an information resource only, may be incorrect, outdated or misleading, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. Please consult your health care provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. WikiMD expressly disclaims responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury, or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained in this site. By visiting this site you agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, which may from time to time be changed or supplemented by WikiMD. If you do not agree to the foregoing terms and conditions, you should not enter or use this site. See full disclaimer.
Credits:Most images are courtesy of Wikimedia commons, and templates Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY SA or similar.
Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD
