Bassett Collection of Stereoscopic Images of Human Anatomy

Collection Home

Dissection of left orbit from an anterior approach

Tarsal plates; lacrimal canaliculi; fascia supporting eye

Image #53-3

KEYWORDS: Connective tissue, Eye, Face, Muscles and tendons.

Larger View

Creative Commons

These images are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

Higher resolution images are available for a fee. Contact Drew Bourn, PhD, MLIS.

Dissection of left orbit from an anterior approach

Tarsal plates; lacrimal canaliculi; fascia supporting eye

The supporting tarsal muscle (16) has been detached from the margin of the tarsus and resected to uncover the conjunctival membrane (17). The orbital septum has been cut away to expose the trochlea encased in dense fascia. The fascia (24) which encloses the inferior oblique muscle (12) extends laterally to the orbital tubercle of the zygoma and medially to the posterior lacrimal crest. It also blends with the fascia of the inferior rectus muscle and with the fascia of the bulb. The sling-like support thus formed for the eye is often referred to as the suspensory ligament (of Lockwood).

1 .	Supraorbital nerve
2 .	Supratrochlear nerve and superior oblique muscle
3 .	Infratrochlear nerve
4 .	Nasofrontal vein
5 .	Middle palpebral artery
6 .	Orbital fascia converging toward attachment to posterior lacrimal crest
7 .	Origin of superior part of orbicularis oculi muscle
8 .	Superior lacrimal duct
9 .	Medial palpebral ligament
10 .	Medial ocular angle
11 .	Inferior lacrimal duct
12 .	Inferior oblique muscle
13 .	Supraorbital margin
14 .	Fascia of levator palpebrae superioris muscle
15 .	Aponeurosis of levator palpebrae superioris muscle
16 .	Superior tarsalis muscle (cut across)
17 .	Conjunctiva
18 .	Superior tarsus and tarsal (Meibomian) glands
19 .	Zygomaticofrontal suture
20 .	Lateral palpebral artery
21 .	Lacrimal nerve
22 .	Inferior tarsus
23 .	Conjunctiva
24 .	Upper pointer: Suspensory ligament of eye (see text above) Lower pointer: fat pad of orbit