Extraocular muscle nerve supply (mnemonic)

Last revised by Craig Hacking on 11 Aug 2020

A mnemonic to remember the nerve supply to the extraocular muscles:

  • LR6SO4O3 (mock 'chemical formula')

Mnemonic

The letters represent the extraocular muscles and numbers represent their respective cranial nerve supply:

The nerves enter the ocular surface of the respective muscles. The trochlear nucleus of one side supplies the superior oblique of the contralateral side due to decussation of fibers of the trochlear nerve in the midbrain.

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