The tarsal plates are firm bands of dense connective tissue that form the skeleton of each eyelid. The upper plate is about 10 mm tall and the lower about 4-5 mm. They are anchored to the orbital rim by the medial and lateral palpebral ligaments and contain the meibomian glands.
| Location | Within the upper and lower eyelids, deep to orbicularis oculi and next to the conjunctiva |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | None of note; lid sensory nerves pass in front of the plates |
| Blood Supply | Marginal and peripheral palpebral arcades |
Give the eyelids shape and stiffness so they sit closely against the eye, and house the meibomian glands.
The tarsal plate is used to evert the upper lid during examination for foreign bodies. Lid reconstruction after tumour removal often needs a tarsal graft to restore lid stiffness. Chronic trachoma scars the tarsal conjunctiva and plate, turning the lid in and causing lashes to scrape the cornea.
Repeated Chlamydia trachomatis infection scars the tarsal conjunctiva, causing entropion and trichiasis that can blind through corneal scarring.
A lax, rubbery upper tarsus that everts easily during sleep, causing chronic irritation; it is strongly linked to obstructive sleep apnoea.
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