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Development of the extraocular muscles during the fetal period

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the morphometric development of the extraocular muscles in the fetal period and to create a modified Tillaux spiral.

Methods

We dissected 157 fetal eyes (82 right eyes, 75 left eyes) obtained from 79 fetuses (46 boys, 33 girls) between 13 and 40 weeks of gestation. The tendon widths of the extraocular muscles and the distances of the tendon attachment sites to the limbus were measured. Tillaux's modified spiral was created.

Results

In addition to the rectus muscles, we added tendon widths and tendon–limbus distances of the upper (SO) and lower (IO) obliques to the modified Tillaux spiral. When tendon widths were compared between genders, no statistically significant difference was observed. When tendon widths were compared between the sides, it was determined that SO was more in the left eye, whereas other extraocular muscles were more in the right eye. There was no statistically significant difference between genders when the distances of tendon attachment sites to the limbus were compared. There was no statistically significant difference in SO and IO values between the sides. There was a statistically significant difference in the rectus muscles and this difference was found to be higher in the right eye.

Conclusion

We think that the findings obtained will contribute to disciplines such as fetopathology, obstetrics, ophthalmology and plastic surgery and to future studies on this subject.

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Data availability

Datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Funding

This study was supported by Suleyman Demirel University Instructional Member Training Coordination Unit with project number OYP05444-DR-13. This study was presented as an oral presentation at the 20th National Anatomy Congress.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey

    Cemil Bilkay & Kenan Öztürk

  2. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey

    Esra Koyuncu

  3. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University, Karaman, Turkey

    Ahmet Dursun

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey

    Gülnur Özgüner, Levent Tök & Özlem Tök

  5. Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Üsküdar University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Osman Sulak

Authors
  1. Cemil Bilkay
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  2. Esra Koyuncu
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  3. Ahmet Dursun
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  4. Kenan Öztürk
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  5. Gülnur Özgüner
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  6. Levent Tök
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  7. Özlem Tök
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  8. Osman Sulak
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Contributions

BC: protocol/project development, data collection or management, data analysis and manuscript writing/editing. KE: protocol/project development, data collection or management, data analysis and manuscript writing/editing. DA: data collection or management. ÖK: data collection or management. ÖG: data analysis and manuscript writing/editing. TL: protocol/ project development, manuscript writing/editing. TÖ: protocol/ project development, manuscript writing/editing. SO: protocol/ project development, data collection or management, manuscript writing/editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cemil Bilkay.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

Ethical approval

Approval was obtained from the Faculty of Medicine Ethics Committee for this study (Date: 11.19.2014, Decision no: 185).

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Bilkay, C., Koyuncu, E., Dursun, A. et al. Development of the extraocular muscles during the fetal period. Surg Radiol Anat 46, 11–17 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-023-03269-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-023-03269-7

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