Procedure for Monocular Muscle Testing
As previously explained, after a duction test of each of the four muscles of the right eye, the rotary prism before that eye should be placed out of position and the procedure for adduction, abduction, superduction and subduction repeated by means of the rotary prism before the left eye. In case of an existing imbalance, after testing the muscle of both right and left eyes, the refractionist can quickly determine which muscle or muscles may be lacking in strength ([Fig. 24]). In practically every instance muscle exercises or correcting prisms may then be prescribed with definite knowledge of requirements, as further described in the following paragraphs.
A binocular muscle test made with the phorometer, Maddox rod and distant muscle-testing point of light might quickly indicate six degrees of exophoria, both before and after the optical correction is made. While this would doubtless be the correct amount of the manifest imbalance, it would be a difficult matter to ascertain which muscles caused the disturbance. To determine this important question, the monocular or duction test should be invariably employed.