Ocular Motility After Repair of Combined Medial and Inferior Orbital Wall Fractures With Extended Conjunctival Incision With Inferior Oblique Reattachment.

PURPOSE: To describe ocular motility and effectiveness of an extended conjunctival incision with reattachment of the inferior oblique muscle to repair combined orbital medial and inferior wall fractures.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively studied 20 eyes from 20 patients who underwent combined orbital medial and inferior wall fractures surgery with reattachment of the inferior oblique muscle from January 2007 to December 2011. Single large L-shaped implant was inserted into the fracture site. All patients were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively at 1, 3, and 6 months, by computed tomography, Hertel exophthalmometry, the Hess test of ocular motility, and the Goldmann diplopia test.

RESULTS

Sixteen patients (80%) had no significant enophthalmos or diplopia after surgery. Inferior oblique motility was not changed in 12 patients (60%) after reattachment of the inferior oblique muscle. After 1 month, inferior oblique underaction was presented in 8 patients (40%) and in 4 patients (20%) after 6 months. Finally, only 2 patients (10%) had the inferior oblique underaction remained, it was not improved.

CONCLUSIONS

The extended conjunctival incision with reattachment of the inferior oblique muscle for combined orbital wall fracture repair offers a wide surgical field and space for a single large implant insertion and corrects the enopthalmos. The reattachment of the inferior oblique muscle does not contribute to the development of inferior oblique underactions or diplopia that was resolved spontaneously within 6 months after surgery.