Repair of fractures of the orbital floor with porous polyethylene implants.

Abstract

Our main aim was to evaluate the long-term results after reconstruction of the orbital floor with porous polyethylene implants. Twenty-six patients with fractures of the orbital floor were included in the study. The main cause of fractures was road crashes. They also complained of enophthalmos (n=19), diplopia (n=21), limited extrinsic ocular motility (n=17), impairment of the infraorbital nerve (n=18), and hypoglobus (n=9). All the fractures were reconstructed with thin and ultra-thin porous polyethylene sheets. No implants extruded and there were no signs of inflammatory reaction against the porous polyethylene. The symptoms were treated in 14 patients with enophthalmos, 18 with diplopia, 16 with limited extrinsic ocular motility, 14 with impairment of the infraorbital nerve and 8 with hypoglobus. Postoperative infections in four patients were treated with systemic antibiotics. Persistent ectropion was present in two patients. Porous polyethylene sheets are reliable, safe and effective implants and may be used for reconstruction of the orbital floor fracture with no donor site morbidity or need to fix implant.