Enophthalmos as a prognostic factor in blow-out fracture of the orbit. Retrospective study of over 700 cases

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of posttraumatic enophthalmos in orbital blow-out fracture on the treatment results. The relationship between time from injury to treatment, type of surgical reconstruction, bone graft site, type of diplopia and treatment results were evaluated. The relationship between the location of the fracture and the degree of enophthalmos was also analyzed. The study included 730 patients, 128 women and 602 men, aged 4 to 77 years, average 28 years, treated because of orbital blow-out fracture in our Department between 1975 and 2015. The study included only patients with an isolated orbital floor or medial wall fracture, so-called "pure blow-out" or "internal blowout". Fractures of the lower rim, roof or lateral wall of the orbit, as well as the coexistence of other fractures of the facial part of the skull, were excluding citeria from the study. Complete recovery in surgically treated patients was achieved in 405 (58.8%) patients, improvement in 179 (26%) and no improvement in 105 (15.2%) patients. The degree of post-traumatic enophthalmos affects the result of the treatment. The location of the orbital fracture affects the enophthalmos, in our group of patients the largest incidence occurred in the fracture located in the orbital floor combined with medial wall. Patients who underwent surgical treatment up to 14 days after the injury achieved better results than those postponed.