Treatment of the Medial Orbital Wall Fracture using Transcaruncular Approach

ABSTRACT

Medial orbital wall fracture can easily be overlooked because typical clinical symptoms appear in only a few instances. However, if it is left untreated in case of no diplopia, cosmetically undesirable enophthalmos may develop. Various cutaneous approaches, previously used, may leave noticeable scar or provide a limited overview of the orbit medial wall fracture site. We used the transcaruncular approach in 36 cases of 35 patients for reconstruction of the medial orbital wall fracture. The incision was made at the junction of the medial 3/4 and lateral 1/4 of the caruncle, and extended along the conjunctival fornix superiorly and inferiorly to or beyond both puncta for 10 - 15 mm long respectively. After soft tissue was dissected, periosteum was incised at the posterior to the posterior lacrimal crest. Implants up to a height of 2.5 cm could be inserted.The diplopia was resolved in all cases after the surgery, and enophthalmos measured 0 to 2 mm in all patients. Postoperative computed tomographic scans showed favorable reduction of the herniated soft tissues and anatomic reduction of the medial wall without complication related to the surgical approach in all cases. Transcaruncular approach is a better alternative to transcutaneous incisions because it provides wide exposure of the medial orbital wall, no visible cutaneous scar, short operation time, and no damage of important internal structures.