Cranial osteopathy focused on the sphenobasilar joint and the most likely places for intracranial entrapment neuropathy of oculomotor, trochlearis, and abducens nerves, which regulate intra- and extraocular muscles.
The cavernous sinus lies laterally containing the internal carotid artery, the occulomotor, trochlear and abducens nerves, and branches of the trigeminal nerve.
(2,7,14,15) In adults, however, selective palsies of the oculomotor and abducens nerves are each encountered in between 30-45% of cases, at least twice as frequently as those involving just the trochlear nerve, (2,3,6,8-13) strongly suggesting that the 3rd and 6th nerves are more likely to be affected by conditions acquired later in life.
Each of these muscles is supplied by one of three nerves--the oculomotor, trochlear, and abducens nerves, which are also known as cranial nerves III, IV, and VI, respectively.