Orbital floor fractures may result when a blunt object which is of equal or greater diameter than the orbital aperture strikes the eye or on the cheek 1.
Floor of orbit orbitale.
It is estimated that about 10 of all facial fractures are isolated orbital wall fractures the majority of these being the orbital floor and that 30 40 of all facial fractures involve the orbit.
The key areas of the orbit involve mainly the posterior orbital floor and medial orbital wall which bulge towards the orbit resulting in an s shape of the orbital floor in the posterior third seen in a sagittal view along the axis of the optic nerve.
The globe usually does not rupture and the resultant force is transmitted throughout the orbit causing a fracture of the orbital floor.
During my training under norman shorr md at the jules stein eye institute ucla i observed frequent use of orbital steroid injections to treat orbital inflammatory disease including graves and i also learned about steroid injections from william stewart md.
A blow out fracture pure is a fracture of internal orbital walls without fractures of orbital rims.
Orbital floor fractures can present as blow out fractures or in combination with a zygoma or le fort fractures.
The anatomy of the orbital floor predisposes it to fracture.
When we refer to an orbital floor fracture in this text a blow out fracture is meant.
The medial wall is formed primarily by the orbital plate of ethmoid as well as contributions from the frontal process of maxilla the lacrimal bone and a small part of the body of the sphenoid.
Orbital steroid injections for graves orbitopathy and other inflammatory disease of the orbit have had a somewhat chequered past.
The orbital contents prolapse through the fracture into the maxillary sinus and may be entrapped.
The floor is likely to collapse because the bones of the roof and lateral walls are robust.
According to this theory the contents of the orbit are compressed posteriorly toward the apex of the orbit and the orbital bones break at their weakest point usually the posterior medial part of the floor in the maxillary bone.
Fractures of the orbital floor are common.
Orbital floor fractures may result when a blunt object which is of equal or greater diameter than the orbital aperture strikes the eye.
The floor is separated from the lateral wall by inferior orbital fissure which connects the orbit to pterygopalatine and infratemporal fossa.