Reconstruction of orbital floor fractures with maxillary bone.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the use of autogenous maxillary bone for the repair of orbital floor defects secondary to blunt facial trauma.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series of 41 patients with a mean follow-up of 1.7 years.

SETTING

Major metropolitan teaching hospital.

PATIENTS: Forty-one consecutive patients who underwent repair of orbital floor fractures with maxillary antral wall bone grafts.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence of diplopia, orbital dystopia, implant extrusion, enophthalmos, infection, and donor site complications.

RESULTS

On follow-up clinical examinations, none of the 41 patients presented with any evidence of orbital dystopia or complications relative to the implant or donor site. Two patients had persistent enophthalmos, and 4 had persistent infraorbital nerve paresthesia. Postoperative computed tomographic scans in 12 patients revealed an adequate maintenance of orbital volume without any evidence of resorption of the graft.

CONCLUSION

The use of maxillary antral wall bone for the repair of orbital floor fractures is a highly reliable technique that carries minimal morbidity.