Objective: To evaluate the effect of surgical treatment for blow-out fractures.
Methods: Fifty-six cases with blow-out fracture treated by surgery from 1994 to 1999 were reviewed and summarized, and their surgical effects were analyzed.
Results: The surgical approaches were as follows: anterior orbitotomy in 52 cases, through brow in 2 cases, anterior orbital with oral approach in 2 cases. The enophthalmos was from the mean of 3.4 mm to 1.2 mm after operation. The diplopia completely disappeared in 18 cases and partly disappeared in 25 cases after operation. Diplopia was still presented in 9 cases post-operatively. There were 4 cases with inferior orbital nerve anesthesia after operation.
Conclusions: Surgical management is an effective means of blow-out fractures. The effect is related to the time selected for surgery. Transconjunctival approach has advantages of easy operation, full exposure and invisible scar. This is the key method to eliminate diplopia since it may fully loose the incarcerated muscle and reduce secondary adhesion.