Eyeballs motility in oblique plane among healthy persons

PURPOSE: The aims of the work was to evaluate the average range of vertical rectus and oblique muscles activity in subjects with no strabismus and with normal organ of sight. I intended to study, if there are some differences in eye motility for each particular muscles according to patients age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 333 individuals of both genders with normal organ of vision, without strabismus or any history of chronic or inborn diseases, were enrolled. Three equal (n = 111) age groups were formed: group I comprising children aged 6-7 years; group II with youth aged 14-15 years; group III consisting of adults aged 22-26 years. Eyeball motility was studied with Wessely's keratometer. Separately for each eye, in the up-temple and down-temple direction at an angle of 23 degrees to the vertical plane, and in the up-nose and down-nose directions at an angle of 51 degrees to the vertical plane. RESULTS: 1. Mean motility in the up-temple(action of superior rectus muscle) and up-nose (action of inferior oblique muscle) directions ranged from 7 to 8 mm in all groups. 2. Mean motility ranged from 9 to 11 mm in the down-temple (action of inferior rectus muscle) and from 9 to 12 mm in down-nose(action of superior oblique muscle) directions in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: 1. In physiological conditions some of the persons examined, did not stay within the range of normal motility reference. 2. There is an inclination to increase the range depressing eyeball motility with age.