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Glite Dictionary
medial rectus

medial rectus

6.2
An eye muscle that moves the eyeball toward the nose
  • noun
  • /ˈmiːdiəl ˈrɛktəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : recto medial
  • In patients with strabismus, the medial rectus muscle often requires surgical adjustment to achieve straight vision.
  • medial rectus muscle

Examples

  • The mass had applied pressure on the globe and on the medial rectus muscle, which was thickened.

    Academic text (2001)

  • CT also demonstrated the thickening of the medial rectus muscle, a finding that might be explained by the patient's ophthalmoplegia and proptosis.

    Academic text (2001)

  • The mass had eroded the lamina papyracea and infiltrated the medial rectus muscle.

    Academic text (2006)

  • The surgeon carefully examined the medial rectus muscle during the procedure to ensure proper alignment of the eye.

  • The medial rectus muscle plays a crucial role in moving the eyeball towards the nose during eye examinations.

Synonyms

medial rectus muscle
vsmedial rectus
  • Specialized
5.5

Muscle on the inner side of the eye that moves the eye toward the nose

has identical meaning but is a slightly different anatomical name
rectus medialis
vsmedial rectus
  • Specialized
8.2

An eye muscle that turns the eye toward the nose

means the same but uses an alternate term form

How Central

medial rectus
  • Specialized
6.2
lateral rectus
  • Specialized
6.7

Surface Forms

medial rectus singular
medial recti plural

Morphology

medial + rectus

The components 'medial' (toward the midline) and 'rectus' (a straight muscle) transparently indicate a muscle located toward the midline, so learners can infer basic locational and categorical meaning. However, the term is specialized anatomical jargon and does not by itself make clear that the muscle is specifically the ocular muscle that moves the eyeball toward the nose, so full meaning requires domain knowledge.

Etymology

Medial rectus comes from Latin words medial ('middle') and rectus ('straight'), because this straight muscle sits near the middle of the eye and pulls the eyeball in toward the nose.