Factors which Influence Postoperative Enophthalmos in Inferior Orbital Wall Fractures

Kim, Su Young; Moon, Sang Ho; Jang, Jae Woo

Abstract

PURPOSE
To determine the relationship of postoperative enophthalmos with preoperative soft tissue herniation, fracuture size, time interval between trauma and surgery in inferior orbital wall fracture. METHODS: 37 patients operated for pure blowout fractures of the orbital floor from March 2001 through August 2002 were reviewed retrospectively. Fractures were classified as either A or B, based on the degree of soft tissue herniation, and also categorized as type I (less than one-fourth floor fractured and trapdoor fracture), type II (between one-fourth and one-half floor fractured) and type III (greater than one-half floor fractured) in preoperative coronal computed tomography. Preoperative and postoperative enophthalmos was quantified by Hertel exophthalmometry. The interval between trauma and surgery was also considered. RESULTS: Among the patients with postoperative enophthalmos less than 0.5 mm, 18 patients were type A and 12 patients were type B. 14 patients were categorized as type II and 16 as type III. Among the patients with postoperative enophthalmos of 1.0 mm , 3 patients were type A and 2 patients were type B. 3 patients were classsified as type II and 2 as type III. Among the patients with postoperative enophthalmos of 1.5 mm, each one patient was type A and type B. 2 patients were categorized as type III, but there was no type II. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of postoperative enophthalmos is not related with the degree of soft tissue herniation and fracture size. However, it is negatively associated with time interval between trauma and surgery(p=0.006).