Definition

Noun: - The ocular muscle whose contraction turns the eyeball outward: The lateral rectus muscle is one of the six extraocular muscles that control the movement of the human eye. Specifically, its primary function is to abduct the eye, meaning it pulls the eyeball laterally, away from the nose, to look outward.

Usage

This term is used in anatomical, medical, and biological contexts to describe a specific muscle responsible for eye movement. - Damage to the lateral rectus muscle can cause difficulty in looking toward the ear. - During the examination, the doctor tested the function of the lateral rectus muscle.

Advanced Usage

• "Palsy of the lateral rectus muscle": A condition where the muscle is paralyzed, often leading to esotropia (inward turning of the eye) and double vision (diplopia) when looking to the side.
  • The patient's diplopia was diagnosed as a result of a lateral rectus muscle palsy.

Variants and Related Words

• Lateral rectus (noun): A common abbreviated form of "lateral rectus muscle."
  • The surgeon operated on the lateral rectus to correct the strabismus.
• Abducens nerve (noun): The cranial nerve (CN VI) that innervates the lateral rectus muscle.
• Extraocular muscles (noun): The group of six muscles that include the lateral rectus, responsible for moving the eye.

Synonyms

• Abducens oculi: An older, Latin-based term.
• External rectus muscle: A less common synonym.

Related Terms and Phrases

• "Lateral rectus recession": A surgical procedure to weaken the muscle by moving its attachment point posteriorly, often used to treat exotropia (outward turning of the eye).
  • The ophthalmologist recommended a lateral rectus recession for the child's exotropia.
• "Lateral rectus resection": A surgical procedure to strengthen the muscle by removing a portion of it, often used to treat esotropia.
  • A resection of the lateral rectus muscle was performed to correct the inward deviation.

Noun

1. the ocular muscle whose contraction turns the eyeball outward