Complete inferior rectus muscle transection secondary to orbital blowout fracture

ABSTRACT

Complete extraocular muscle transection is uncommon in the setting of blunt trauma. We report a case of a 53-year-old male that developed diplopia after hitting his face directly on a concrete slab after a fall. On examination, he had a right hypertropia with a complete infraduction deficit. A CT scan of the face showed an orbital floor blowout fracture with complete inferior rectus transection. On surgical exploration, the distal and proximal ends of the muscle were identified and sutured together, and the floor fracture was repaired. At his post-operative visits, the patient had a persistent infraduction deficit, but subjectively had improved diplopia.

KEYWORDS:

• Blowout fracture
• inferior rectus entrapment
• orbital wall fracture
• rectus transection

Acknowledgments

Thank you to Matthew Olsen, ocular photographer, for photos and editing.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.