Anatomical structure and Its Clinical Significance of Whitnall's Ligament in Patients with Ptosis.

Cho, Young Jin; Kim, Young Seog; Chung, Wha Sun

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 1996;37(3):427-433.
Published online March 1, 1996.

Anatomical structure and Its Clinical Significance of Whitnall's Ligament in Patients with Ptosis.

Young Jin Cho, Young Seog Kim, Wha Sun Chung

Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Taegu, Korea.

안검하수 환자의 Whitnall 인대의 구조 및 임상적 의의

조영진(Young Jun Cho),김영석(Young Seog Kim),정화선(Wha Sun Chung)

Abstract

Whitnall's ligament plays an important role as a check ligament of the levator muscle and indicates a definite landmark during the procedure of external levator resection. Whitnall's ligament was variable in the level of the ligament. the tightness and appearance etc. The medical records of 193 patients(263 eyes) with ptosis who had undergone levator resection were reviewed from July, 1987 through October, 1994 at Yeungnam University Hospital. The structure of Whitnall's ligament was studied by measurement of the level, gross appearance of the ligament and the tightness. The level of the ligament was the length from the insertion of the levator aponeurosis to Whitnall's ligament. The most common level(88.6%) of the ligament was between 18 mm and 26 mm(range, from 9 mm to 33 mm). Whitnall's ligament levels in mild ptosis with good levator function were higher than in those of severe ptosis with poor levator function. Whitnall's ligament showed gradually higher in level as patients became older. Weak Whitnall's ligament was observed in 21 eyes and more common in mild ptosis.

Key Words: Levator aponeurosis;Ptosis;Whitnall's ligament