Superior tarsal muscle
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
At the time the article was created Craig Hacking had no recorded disclosures.
View Craig Hacking's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Yoshi Yu had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Yoshi Yu's current disclosures- Muller's muscle
- Muller muscle
- Cremaster tarsus muscle
- Muller's muscles
- Muller muscles
- Superior tarsal muscles
The superior tarsal muscle (Müller muscle or cremaster tarsus) is a small muscle of the superior orbit arising from the undersurface of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle that elevates and retracts the upper eyelid. It is not part of the extraocular muscles; it does not insert on the globe and therefore does not produce eye movements. It is composed of smooth muscle fibers which are under sympathetic control.
Summary
origin: undersurface of the levator palpebrae superioris muscle
insertion: upper margin of the superior tarsal plate
innervation: sympathetic fibers in the superior branch of the oculomotor nerve (CN III) originating from the superior cervical ganglion via internal carotid artery sympathetic plexus
action: elevates and retracts the upper eyelid
Clinical significance
Horner syndrome, due to injury or pathology of the cervical sympathetic chain, can lead to reduced sympathetic innervation of the muscle and cause ptosis. There are usually other signs of Horner syndrome present to help differentiate from other causes of ptosis.
References
- 1. Moore KL, Agur AMR, Dalley AF. Clinically oriented anatomy. LWW. ISBN:1451119453. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 2. Last's anatomy, regional and applied. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN:044304662X. Read it at Google Books - Find it at Amazon
- 3. Susan Standring. Gray's Anatomy. ISBN: 9780702052309
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