TOPOGRAPHIC ANATOMY, BLOOD SUPPLY AND NERVE SUPPLY OF THE EXTRINSIC MUSCLES OF THE EYE BALL IN CAMEL (Camelus dromedarius)

The anatomical studies on the extrinsic muscles of the eye ball revealed that the dorsal oblique muscle had the longest tendon while the ventral oblique muscle had the shortest tendon among all the extrinsic muscles of the eye ball. The line of insertion of dorsal rectus muscle was the widest while the ventral rectus muscle was the narrowest among all the recti muscles of the eye ball. The medial rectus muscle had most posterior line of insertion while the lateral rectus muscle had the nearest line of insertion to the corneo-scleral junction. The blood supply to the eye ball was carried by the ophthalmic artery which arose from the internal maxillary artery. It gave off the frontal artery, lacrimal artery and a branch to the dorsal oblique muscle and then formed the ophthalmic rete. The ophthalmic rete gave off branches to the rectus and retractor muscles of the eye ball. The sensory nerve supply to the muscles of eye ball was carried by the ophthalmic nerve which arose from the trigeminal ganglion. The ophthalmic nerve divided into nasociliary and zygomaticotemporalis branches. The nasociliary nerve gave off branches to the muscle obliquus dorsalis and then terminated by dividing into the ethmoidal and frontal nerves. The motor nerve supply to the muscles of the eye ball was carried by oculomotor, trochlear and abducent nerves. The oculomotor nerve supplied the muscles rectus dorsalis, rectus ventralis, obliquus ventralis and levator palpebrae superioris. The trochlear nerve supplied the muscles rectus dorsalis and obliquus dorsalis. The abducent nerve supplied the muscles rectus dorsalis, rectus lateralis and retractor oculi.