Medial palpebral ligament
The medial palpebral ligament is a ligament of the face. It attaches to the frontal process of the maxilla, the lacrimal groove, and the tarsus of each eyelid. It has a superficial and a deep layer, with many surrounding attachments. It connects the medial canthus of each eyelid to the medial part of the orbit. It is a useful point of fixation during eyelid reconstructive surgery.
Structure
The anterior attachment of the medial palpebral ligament is to the frontal process of the maxilla in front of the lacrimal groove, and its posterior attachment is the lacrimal bone. Crossing the lacrimal sac, it divides into two parts, upper and lower, each attached to the medial end of the corresponding tarsus of each eyelid.As the ligament crosses the lacrimal sac, a strong aponeurotic lamina is given off from its posterior surface; this expands over the sac, and is attached to the posterior lacrimal crest.
The medial palpebral ligament consists of a superficial and a deep layer. The superficial layer has a length of around 9.6 mm, a width of around 2.4 mm, and a thickness of around 4.5 mm. The deep layer has a length of around 3.7, a width of around 2.9, and a thickness of around 0.3 mm. Together, these have a strength of around 17 newtons, with most of this strength from the superficial layer.