Radial fibers of ciliary muscle
Fibrae radiales musculi ciliaris
- Related terms: Radial fibres; Radial fibers
Definition
The radial fibres of ciliary muscle (a.k.a. the oblique or intermediate fibres), form the middle layer of the ciliary muscle, situated between the longitudinal (meridional) fibres externally and the circular fibres internally. These fibres run in an oblique (radial) course, extending from the scleral spur region toward the inner circular fibres.
Functions
Functionally, the radial fibres act as a transitional and coordinating layer by connecting the longitudinal and circular fibres. Their contraction helps to bridge the actions of the longitudinal and circular fibres, thereby contributing to the mechanism of accommodation by assisting the circular fibres in reducing zonular tension indirectly and may also help the longitudinal fibres in widening the uveal trabecular spaces, supporting aqueous humour outflow.
References
BorgesGiampani, A.S. and Giampani Junior, J., 2013. Anatomy of ciliary body, ciliary processes, anterior chamber angle and collector vessels. In: S. Rumelt (ed.) Glaucoma: Basic and Clinical Aspects. London: IntechOpen. Available at: https://doi.org/10.5772/52780
Standring, S. (Ed.). (2015). Eye (Chapter 42). In Gray's anatomy: The anatomical basis of clinical practice (41st ed., pp. 686706). Churchill Livingstone.
