MuscleExtraocular muscles
Lateral rectus
Latin: M. rectus lateralis
Location: Head
View the lateral rectus in 3DOrigin
Common tendinous ring.
Insertion
Sclera of the lateral eye.
Action
Abducts the eye — turns it outward.
Nerve supply
Abducens nerve (CN VI).
Blood supply
Ophthalmic artery.
Clinical relevance
CN VI's long intracranial course makes it often the first cranial nerve affected by raised intracranial pressure — a 'false-localising' horizontal diplopia.
Educational anatomy reference, not medical advice. About this content.