Incidence of diplopia after division and reattachment of the inferior oblique muscle during orbital fracture repair

Abstract Background Wide surgical access to the orbital floor and medial wall is often impaired by the course of the inferior oblique muscle. There is no current consensus on the optimal surgical approach for exposure, and techniques involving inferior oblique division are generally shunned for concern of possible complications. Objective To determine the safety and outcomes of inferior oblique division and reattachment for surgical access to the orbital floor and medial wall during orbital fracture repair. Methods Retrospective, single-center, review of 85 patients that underwent orbital floor, medial wall or combined fracture repair with division and reattachment of the inferior oblique near its origin. Measured characteristics include surgical approach, type of surgery, time to surgery, pre- and post-operative diplopia, enophthalmos, and complications. Results Forty-five patients (52.9%) with no pre-operative diplopia were followed up for a mean of six months. Of these, six patients (13.3%) developed post-operative binocular diplopia that resolved in all patients on an average of three months (range 2–6 months). No patients developed torsional diplopia. One patient developed a hematoma two years later attributable to capsular contraction around the implant. Conclusion Division and reattachment of the inferior oblique muscle is a safe method that allows for panoramic surgical visualization of the inferior and medial orbit.