Blow-out fractures in children: six years' experience

Objectives. To present and analyze our experience in treating blow-out fractures in children, over a 6-year period. Study design. The study was retrospective with 16 consecutive cases of blow-out fractures in children aged 5 to 15 years. All patients presented with impairment of eye motility and diplopia together with radiological findings. Treatment included fracture reduction, release of entrapped periorbital soft tissues, and placement of an alloplastic membrane on the orbital floor. Fractures were linear in 11 cases (trapdoor) and severe or comminuted in 5 cases. Results. Clinical symptoms subsided in all cases. Complete recovery of eye motility was achieved after surgical procedure in 13 cases; 2 patients presented late but had full recovery, and 1 patient, 4 years postoperatively, still had slight motility impairment. Conclusions. Surgical treatment of blow-out fractures, including periorbital tissue release and placement of a membrane lining on the orbital floor, presented satisfactory results in our cases.