Clinical analysis of orbital blowout fractures caused by a globe-to-wall contact mechanism

Abstract

Computed tomograms of blowout fractures of the pure medial and inferomedial wall that showed that the size of the orbital displacement exactly fitted the shape of the globe in many cases were investigated. To examine the veracity of a “globe-to-wall contact mechanism”, we have analysed our own cases of medial or inferomedial blowout fractures (and also the charts of presumptive cases in which this mechanism was suspected), for the clinical information. The size of the displacement of the orbital wall exactly fitted the globe in 20/45 patients (44%). All fractures occurred in the inferomedial area of the orbital wall. In our study, serious complications such as corneal laceration, global rupture, paralysis of the cranial nerve, and ophthalmic nerve neuropathy were seen more often than in other studies.

Key Words::

• Blowout fracture
• orbital fracture
• medial wall fracture
• inferomedial wall fracture
• globe-to-wall contact mechanism

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