The common tendinous ring, also known as the annulus of Zinn or annular tendon, is a ring of

fibrous tissue Connective tissue is one of the four primary types of animal tissue, a group of cells that are similar in structure, along with epithelial tissue, muscle tissue, and nervous tissue. It develops mostly from the mesenchyme, derived from the mesode ...

surrounding the

optic nerve In neuroanatomy, the optic nerve, also known as the second cranial nerve, cranial nerve II, or simply CN II, is a paired cranial nerve that transmits visual system, visual information from the retina to the brain. In humans, the optic nerve i ...

at its entrance at the apex of the

orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit (also known as orbital revolution) is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an ...

. It is the common origin of the four recti muscles of the group of

extraocular muscles The extraocular muscles, or extrinsic ocular muscles, are the seven extrinsic muscles of the eye in human eye, humans and other animals. Six of the extraocular muscles, the four recti muscles, and the superior oblique muscle, superior and inferior ...

. It can be used to divide the regions of the superior orbital fissure. The

arteries An artery () is a blood vessel in humans and most other animals that takes oxygenated blood away from the heart in the systemic circulation to one or more parts of the body. Exceptions that carry deoxygenated blood are the pulmonary arteries in ...

surrounding the optic nerve form a vascular structure known as the circle of Zinn-Haller, or sometimes as the ''circle of Zinn''. The following structures pass through the tendinous ring (superior to inferior): * Superior division of the

oculomotor nerve The oculomotor nerve, also known as the third cranial nerve, cranial nerve III, or simply CN III, is a cranial nerve that enters the orbit through the superior orbital fissure and innervates extraocular muscles that enable most movements o ...

(CNIII) *

Nasociliary nerve The nasociliary nerve is a branch of the ophthalmic nerve (CN V1) (which is in turn a branch of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)). It is intermediate in size between the other two branches of the ophthalmic nerve, the frontal nerve and lacrimal ner ...

(branch of

ophthalmic nerve The ophthalmic nerve (CN V1) is a sensory nerve of the head. It is one of three divisions of the trigeminal nerve (CN V), a cranial nerve. It has three major branches which provide sensory innervation to the eye, and the skin of the upper face ...

) * Inferior division of the

(CNIII) *

Abducens nerve The abducens nerve or abducent nerve, also known as the sixth cranial nerve, cranial nerve VI, or simply CN VI, is a cranial nerve in humans and various other animals that controls the movement of the lateral rectus muscle, one of the extraocula ...

(CNVI) * Optic nerve

Parts

The common tendinous ring spans the superior orbital fissure and can be described as having two parts – an inferior tendon which gives origin to the inferior rectus muscle, and to part of the lateral rectus muscle; and a superior tendon which gives origin to the superior rectus muscle, and to part of the medial and lateral recti muscles.

Eponym

It is named for Johann Gottfried Zinn.J. G. Zinn. Descriptio anatomica oculi humani. Göttingen, B. Abrami Vandenhoeck, 1755. It should not be confused with the zonule of Zinn, though it is named after the same person.

References

{{Authority control Histology Human eye anatomy