Medial palpebral ligament
Ligamentum palpebrale mediale
Definition
The medial palpebral ligament (a.k.a. the medial canthal tendon) is a fibrous band that anchors the medial ends of the upper and lower eyelids to the medial orbital margin.
Attachments
Laterally: Blends with the upper and lower tarsal plates of the eyelids.
Medially: Attaches mainly to the anterior lacrimal crest of the frontal process of the maxilla.
A deeper/posterior part attaches to the posterior lacrimal crest of the lacrimal bone.
Relationship to the lacrimal sac
The medial palpebral ligament splits around the lacrimal sac into anterior and posterior limbs, which are attached to the anterior and posterior lacrimal crests, respectively. This way it helps stabilize the medial canthus, maintain the position and apposition of the eyelids against the globe, and also support the lacrimal pump mechanism during blinking.
References
Standring, S. (Ed.). (2015). Eye (Chapter 42). In Gray's anatomy: The anatomical basis of clinical practice (41st ed., pp. ). Churchill Livingstone.
Kobayashi K, Saito Y, Miyamoto S, Miyawaki S, Ito Y, Yamamura K, Kondo K. Meticulous Approach to Medial Palpebral Ligament in Lateral Rhinotomy: Avoiding Canthus Malposition. Laryngoscope. 2025 Feb;135(2):622625.
