Levator palpebrae superioris

Musculus levator palpebrae superioris

Sensory (eye & ear)Deep musclesHeadLeft and right

View left in 3D View right in 3D

What it is

A thin triangular muscle lying above the superior rectus. It arises from the lesser wing of the sphenoid above the optic canal, runs forward to Whitnall's ligament and then becomes a broad aponeurosis that descends into the upper lid to the tarsal plate and skin.

Function

Raises and holds up the upper eyelid; a small smooth-muscle slip beneath it (Mueller's muscle) adds 1-2 mm of lift.

Size

Muscle ~40 mm, aponeurosis ~15-20 mm long and ~25 mm wide at the lid.

Clinical note

Supplied by CN III (Mueller's muscle by sympathetic fibres); age-related stretching of the aponeurosis is the commonest cause of a drooping lid in adults.