Pediatric Orbital Blow-Out Fractures: Surgical Outcomes.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the features, timing of intervention, complications, and outcomes of patients who underwent surgery for pediatric orbital blow-out fractures.

Design: This was a retrospective case review studying all cases of pediatric orbital blow-out fractures that underwent surgical intervention from 2000 to 2009 in a tertiary ophthalmic center in Singapore.

Methods: Case notes review of all cases of pediatric orbital blow-out fractures repaired surgically was carried out for demographics, time to intervention, and outcome. How the various factors may affect the outcome was statistically analyzed.

Results: A total of 23 patients were reviewed. There were 21 patients (91.3%) with floor fractures, 1 (4.3%) with medial wall fracture, and 1 (4.3%) with combined medial wall and floor fracture. Of the 21 cases of floor fracture, 20 cases had radiological images available for review, 17 (85%) were linear, and 3 (15%) were open. Patients with open fractures were older with a mean age of 14.0 years as compared with 12.6 years in those with linear fractures. The mean duration from injury to intervention was 13.0 days. Preoperatively, 14 (60.9%) had diplopia, but only 4 cases (17.4%) had diplopia in extreme gaze at the last follow-up after surgery (18 months). Outcome was not affected by age, duration between injury and intervention, type of fracture, and nature of implants used.

Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that pediatric orbital blow-out fractures had good outcomes. It might also suggest the possibility of not having to manage all linear fractures as a surgical emergency.