Analysis of orbital bone fractures: a 12-year study of 391 patients

Abstract

This retrospective study evaluates 391 patients with orbital bone fractures from a variety of accidents that were treated at the department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, South Korea, between February 1996 and April 2008. The medical records of these patients were reviewed and analyzed to determine the clinical characteristics and treatment of the orbital bone fractures.The following results were obtained. The mean age of the patients was 31.1 years, and the age range was 4 to 78 years. The most common age group was the third decade of life (32.5%). There was a significant male predominance in all age groups, with a ratio of 4.43:1. The most common etiology was violent (assault) or nonviolent traumatic injury (57.5%) followed by traffic accidents (15.6%) and sports injuries (10.7%).The most common isolated orbital bone fracture site was the orbital floor (26.9%). The largest group of complex fractures included the inferior region of the orbital floor and zygomaticomaxilla (18.9%). Open reduction was performed in 63.2% of the cases, and the most common fracture reconstruction material was MEDPOR (56.4%) followed by a resorbable sheet (41.1%). The postoperative complication rate was 17.9%, and there were no statistically significant differences among the reconstruction materials with regard to complications. During follow-up, diplopia, hypoesthesia, and enophthalmos occurred as complications; however, there was no significant difference between porous polyethylene sheet (MEDPOR) and resorbable sheet groups.Long-term epidemiological data regarding the natural history of orbital bone fractures are important for the evaluation of existing preventative measures and for the development of new methods of injury prevention and treatment.