Muscle recession with a suture loop in rabbits.

We recessed extraocular muscles in rabbits using loops of silk sutures. The effectiveness of the pseudotendons produced depended on their relation to the functional equator of the eye and on the length adherent to the sclera. Loops about 5 mm long inserted at or near the functional equator produced effective pseudotendons. If the loops were inserted in front of the functional equator they adhered to the sclera and the advantage of using them was negated.