Evaluation of vascularization of coralline hydroxyapatite ocular implants by magnetic resonance imaging

A coralline hydroxyapatite orbital implant may be placed after ocular enucleation or evisceration. It must be vascularized to support epithelialization of a hole drilled in its anterior face for insertion of a motility peg. We used gadolinium-DTPA enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the orbits of two patients to assess fibrovascular penetration into their implants. MRI provides a reliable determination of implant vascularization and greater anatomic detail than 99m technetium-MDP bone scanning.