ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To report the incidence of infraorbital nerve hypesthesia after inferior orbital wall fracture and reconstruction surgery and analyze the duration and factors to influence the occurence of the infraorbital nerve hypesthesia. METHODS: From March, 2001 to March, 2016, the medical records of 171 patients with isolated orbital floor fracture reconstructed with porous polyethylene or titanium mesh was analyzed retrospectively. Injury mechanism, fracture type, time interval to surgery, fracture size, type and thickness of implant were analyzed. Orbit computed tomography scan was performed at preoperative and postoperative 6 weeks. RESULTS: Mean age was 30.4 years (male:female = 130:41). The mean time interval to surgery was 9.5 days. Incidence of infraorbital hypesthesia was 9.9% preoperatively, 38% in a week of surgery, 13.5% in 6 weeks and 5.8% in 6 months. Infraorbital hypesthesia lasts 20.5 weeks and the length of infraorbital canal was the only risk factor of persistent infraorbital hypesthesia. CONCLUSIONS: Postoperative infraorbital nerve hypesthesia presents in a week in most patients. It last about 20.5 weeks, then mostly recovers in 6 months. This study will be useful to predict the clinical course of the patients with infraorbital nerve hypesthesia. Therefore, full explanation about the facial sense change is necessary for the patients with inferior orbital wall fracture.