A comparative study of porous polyethylene versus absorbable polydextro- and polylevolactic-lactide plate in reconstruction of isolated medial orbital wall fracture

Abstract Background : Several materials for medial orbital wall reconstruction have been mentioned in the literature. Our main purpose was to investigate postoperative enophthalmos and diplopia after medial orbital wall reconstruction with polydextro- and polylevolactic (poly-L/DL) acid (P[L/DL]LA) mesh plates and porous polyethylene plates. Methods : Using a retrospective study design, we enrolled a cohort of isolated medial blowout fracture patients treated during a 58 month interval. The predictor variable was medial orbital wall reconstruction materials (P(L/DL)LA mesh plate and porous polyethylene plate. The main outcome variables included occurence of postoperative enophthalmos and diplopia at 1 week, 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post-surgery. Appropriate descriptive, uni- and bivariate statistics were computed and P Results : 302 isolated medial blowout fracture patients were included (24.5% females, 67% treated with P(L/DL)LA mesh plate). Exophthalmos measured highest in both groups 1 week after surgery and decreased steadily for 6 months postoperatively. Statistically significant differences were observed between both groups at 1 week, 1, and 3 months after surgery, with a higher incidence of exophthalmos observed in the P(L/DL)LA mesh plate group (P Conclusion : The occurrence of enophthalmos after medial blowout fracture reconstruction with P(L/DL)LA mesh plate is comparable with the use of porous polyethylene plate. Both P(L/DL)LA mesh and porous polyethylene plates are, therefore, reliable implants for medial orbital wall reconstruction.