Surgical ancorage of the lateral rectus muscle to the periosteum of the orbit: a new tool to tuckle retraction in Duane syndrome and exotropia in 3rd cranial nerve palsy.

Objective of the present study was to evaluate the possibility of surgically eliminating of any function of the lateral rectus muscle of the affected eye in patients with Duane syndrome with globe retraction in adduction and in patients with complete 3rd cranial nerve paralysis. Surgery was based upon a technique introduced by Alan Scott zhich consists in anchoring the lateral rectus detached from the globe onto the periosteum of the lateral wall of the orbit wigh a non-absorbable 6-0 prolene suture. Two patients with complete 3rd cranial nerve paralysis and one patient with Duane syndrome type I underwent surgery with this technique. Eye position improved in the two patients with complete 3rd cranial nerve paralysis. The patient with Duane syndrome shozed disappearance of globe retraction in adduction. Additional surgery was required to correct esotropia in the patient with Duane syndrome and to improve hypotropia in one patient with 3rd cranial nerve palsy.