Orbital floor fractures (OFFs) are common injuries of the midface and may result in long-term complications. The aim of this study was to compare two restoration materials, PDS foils and titanium meshes, with regards to (1) clinical outcome and (2) reduction in orbital volume. The monocentric discovery cohort was analyzed retrospectively and included 476 patients with OFFs treated between 2010 and 2020. A subcohort of 104 patients (study cohort) with isolated OFFs and available high-resolution imaging material was used for volume measurements. Postoperative complications were not significantly different between patients treated with different restoration materials. Prevalence of revision surgery was significantly higher in patients treated with thick PDS foils (25 mm). OFFs treated with PDS foils and titanium meshes showed a significant reduction in orbital volume (p = 0.0422 and p = 0.0056, respectively), however, this volume decrease was significantly less pronounced in patients treated with PDS foils alone (p = 0.0134). Restoration using PDS foil in an isolated OFF reduces the orbital volume to a lesser extent than titanium mesh. Class III patients according to the classification of Jaquiéry with a missing bony ledge medial to the infraorbital fissure particularly benefit from restoration with PDS foils due to a lower reduction in the orbital volume. Regarding short- and long-term postoperative complications, a PDS foil thickness of 0.15 mm appears equivalent to titanium mesh in the treatment of OFFs.
Keywords: PDS foil; orbital floor fracture; orbital volume analysis; three-dimensional measurement; titanium mesh.