Surgical approach of orbital medial wall fractures

ABSTRACT

Medial orbital wall fracture was described by Converse and Smith in the first time in 1957. These fractures which comprise more than 30% of all the orbital wall fracture are may easily be overlooked in routine orbital radiology. Accordingly, examination with orbital CT is essential for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. These type of fracture are followed frequently by post-oprative complication such as diplopia and enophthalmos because it is very difficult to approach to orbital medial was in these operations. The mechanism of the orbital wall fractures are abruptly increased hydraulic pressure by sudden impact on orbital rim or soft tissue of orbital region. So patients who show the signs of subcutaneous emphysema, edema on the orbital region or diplopia need to get through examination with orbital CT for accurate diagnosis and immediate reconstruction of the fractured orbital wall. Conventional approaches in the operations of the orbital medial wall fractures are that with bicoronal incision, subciliary incision, transconjunctival incision and infra-orbital rim incision. But, approach with bicoronary incision, needs broader dissection and longer time for operation. Operations with transconjunctival incision and that with subciliary incision have difficulty to approach to fractured sites. Operations with other conventional methods may be also followed by scar problem. The authors performed reduction and reconstruction of the fractured orbital medial wall fractures successfully without any complications and difficulties by intra-eyebrow approach with which they made incision of 2 - 2.5 cm on mid-area of eyebrow to expose fractured medial wall with good operative field.