Magnetic resonance imaging after surgical transposition defines the anteroposterior location of the rectus muscle pulleys

Introduction: Connective tissue pulleys serve as the functional origins of the rectus extraocular muscles (EOMs) and constrain the sideslip of the posterior EOM bellies after transposition surgery. Anterior to the pulleys, EOM paths appreciably displace to reach their transposed insertions. The inflection points in the EOM paths from minimal posterior displacement to maximal anterior displacement should define the anteroposterior location of the EOM pulleys after transposition. Methods: Contiguous cross-sectional magnetic resonance images were obtained in planes perpendicular to the long axis of the orbit over its entire anteroposterior extent before and after operation in 6 patients who underwent rectus muscle transposition surgery. Four patients underwent full tendon width transposition of the vertical rectus muscles laterally for lateral rectus palsy. Two of these patients had augmentation of the transposition with sutures that fixated the temporal margins of the transposed muscles posteriorly to the-sclera adjacent to the borders of the lateral rectus muscle. One patient underwent full tendon width transposition of the horizontal rectus muscles superiorly for superior rectus palsy. One patient underwent full tendon width transposition of both lateral rectus muscles inferiorly for "A" pattern esotropia. Paths of EOMs were defined relative to the area centroid of the orbit. Pulley locations were inferred from EOM paths. The postoperative change in EOM pulley location was obtained by subtracting the preoperative pulley location from the postoperative pulley location for each image plane. Results: For all patients, th postoperative change in EOM belly location was relatively small posterior to the globe-optic nerve junction. The 2 patients with abducens palsy who underwent placement of posterior augmentation sutures, however, demonstrated a significantly larger displacement of the posterior vertical rectus paths compared with similar patients who did not receive augmentation sutures. For a II horizontally transposed vertical rectus muscles and inferiorly transposed lateral rectus muscles, the inflection of the EOM path began 3 mm anterior to the globe-optic nerve junction. For the superiorly transposed medial rectus muscle and lateral rectus muscle, the inflection began 6 mm anterior to the globe-optic nerve junction. Conclusions: The anteroposterior locations of the EOM pulleys can be defined by analysis of EOM displacement after transposition surgery. Augmentation of transpositions by posterior suturing displaces the EOM pulleys substantially more than nonaugmented transpositions.