Retrospective survey of 150 surgically treated orbital floor fractures in a trauma referral centre

We present the epidemiology associated with 150 cases of orbital floor fractures surgically treated at a trauma centre. A 3-year analysis of patients surgically treated for orbital floor fractures at the University Hospital Virgen del Rocio, Sevilla, Spain, was conducted. Data regarding patient demography, signs and symptoms of presentation, cause and nature of injury, associated facial fractures, surgical approaches, materials used for orbital floor reconstruction and ocular damage were collected. Statistical analyses were conducted, including chi-squared and Fisher tests, odds ratios and confidence intervals. Men comprised 66.7% of the patients, and those aged 20–39 years were the most frequently affected. Male patients outnumbered female patients by a 2:1 ratio and were involved in a wider range of behavioural patterns resulting in orbital floor fractures. Motor vehicle accidents were the main cause, followed by physical assaults. The most common signs and symptoms associated with orbital floor fractures were periorbital ecchymosis and diplopia. Corneal abrasion was the most frequent positive ocular finding. This was followed in frequency by traumatic ocular globe rupture. However, most ocular injuries were of minor character. The ratio of impure to pure orbital floor fractures approached 3:1. We report results from one of the current largest series of surgically treated orbital floor fractures in a trauma referral centre. The most susceptible population included young men, and motor vehicle accident was the predominant mechanism. Further analysis of impure and pure orbital floor fractures revealed important differences in several demographic aspects such as mechanism of injury and signs and symptoms of presentation.