EXTRAOCULAR-MUSCLES - BASIC AND CLINICAL ASPECTS OF STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION

Although extraocular muscle is perhaps the least understood component of the oculomotor system, these muscles represent the most common site of surgical intervention in the treatment of strabismus and other ocu lar motility disorders. This review synthesizes information derived fr om both basic and clinical studies in order to develop a better unders tanding of how these muscles may respond to surgical or pharmacologica l interventions and in disease states. In addition, a detailed knowled ge of the structural and functional properties of extraocular muscle, that would allow some degree of prediction of the adaptive responses o f these muscles, is vital as a basis to guide tile development of new treatments for eye movement disorders.