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
The orbicularis oculi is a muscle in the face that closes the eyelids. It arises from the nasal part of the frontal bone, from the frontal process of the maxilla in front of the lacrimal groove, and from the anterior surface and borders of a short ...
. It connects the orbicularis oculi muscle, the frontosphenoidal process of the
zygomatic bone
In the human skull, the zygomatic bone (from grc, ζῠγόν, zugón, yoke), also called cheekbone or malar bone, is a paired irregular bone which articulates with the maxilla, the temporal bone, the sphenoid bone and the frontal bone. It is si ...
, and the
tarsi of the
eyelid
An eyelid is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid, exposing the cornea to the outside, giving vision. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily. The human eyel ...
s.
Structure
The lateral palpebral raphe is formed from the lateral ends of the
orbicularis oculi muscle
The orbicularis oculi is a muscle in the face that closes the eyelids. It arises from the nasal part of the frontal bone, from the frontal process of the maxilla in front of the lacrimal groove, and from the anterior surface and borders of a short ...
.
It may also be formed from the pretarsal muscles of the
eyelid
An eyelid is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid, exposing the cornea to the outside, giving vision. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily. The human eyel ...
s.
It is attached to the margin of the
frontosphenoidal process of the
zygomatic bone
In the human skull, the zygomatic bone (from grc, ζῠγόν, zugón, yoke), also called cheekbone or malar bone, is a paired irregular bone which articulates with the maxilla, the temporal bone, the sphenoid bone and the frontal bone. It is si ...
. 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
The newton (symbol: N) is the unit of force in the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as 1 kg⋅m/s, the force which gives a mass of 1 kilogram an acceleration of 1 metre per second per second. It is named after Isaac Newton in r ...
.
Relations
The lateral palpebral raphe is a much weaker structure than the
medial palpebral ligament
The medial palpebral ligament (medial canthal tendon) is a ligament of the face. It attaches to the Frontal process of maxilla, frontal process of the maxilla, the lacrimal groove, and the Tarsus (eyelids), tarsus of each eyelid. It has a superfic ...
on the other side of the
eyelid
An eyelid is a thin fold of skin that covers and protects an eye. The levator palpebrae superioris muscle retracts the eyelid, exposing the cornea to the outside, giving vision. This can be either voluntarily or involuntarily. The human eyel ...
s.
Variation
The lateral palpebral raphe may be absent in some people.
If it is not present, it is replaced with muscular fibres of
orbicularis oculi muscle
The orbicularis oculi is a muscle in the face that closes the eyelids. It arises from the nasal part of the frontal bone, from the frontal process of the maxilla in front of the lacrimal groove, and from the anterior surface and borders of a short ...
.
It is often very hard to identify as a distinct anatomical feature.
Some sources claim that it does not exist.
See also
*
Orbicularis oculi muscle
The orbicularis oculi is a muscle in the face that closes the eyelids. It arises from the nasal part of the frontal bone, from the frontal process of the maxilla in front of the lacrimal groove, and from the anterior surface and borders of a short ...
*
Lateral palpebral commissure
The canthus (pl. canthi, palpebral commissures) is either corner of the eye where the upper and lower eyelids meet. More specifically, the inner and outer canthi are, respectively, the medial and lateral ends/angles of the palpebral fissure.
Th ...
References
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Human anatomy