Purpose: To use morphological measurements to analyze changes in the position and shape of the lower eyelid after inferior orbital wall reconstruction.
Methods: This study included 47 eyes from 47 patients with blowout fractures. Digital photographs were taken in primary gaze immediately before and after surgery; the degree of enophthalmos was recorded. Several eyelid parameters were measured, including marginal reflex distance 1 (MRD1), MRD2, lower eyelid length (LEL), lower medial palpebral fissure area, lower central palpebral fissure area (LCA), and lower lateral palpebral fissure area.
Results: The exophthalmometry values (P < 0.001), MRD2 (P < 0.001), LEL (P < 0.001), LCA (P = 0.022), and lower lateral palpebral fissure area (P = 0.038) on the injured side before surgery were significantly smaller than those on the contralateral, uninjured side. Following surgery, the MRD2 increased from 5.01 ± 0.65 mm to 5.60 ± 0.78 mm (P < 0.001), LEL from 25.62 ± 2.11 mm to 26.64 ± 2.29 mm (P < 0.001), lower medial palpebral fissure area from 7.10 ± 3.97 mm to 10.37 ± 3.40 mm (P < 0.001), and LCA from 20.28 ± 4.79 mm to 21.25 ± 5.14 mm (P = 0.008). Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that changes in the MRD2 (P = 0.019) and LCA (P = 0.048) were associated with enophthalmos improvement.
Conclusion: The central and medial portions of the lower eyelid are retracted after inferior orbital reconstruction in patients with blowout fractures. The amount of central retraction on the lower eyelid is associated with the amount of enophthalmos improvement.