Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026
Treatment of Facial Deformities using 3D Planning and Printing of Patient-Specific Implants
Published on: May 23, 2020
Orbital deformity after craniofacial fracture repair: avoidance and treatment
1Department of Surgery, Division of Plastic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Background And Objectives:
To achieve the optimal preoperative appearance following craniofacial fracture repair, the surgeon must be facile in the most sophisticated reconstructive techniques and able to determine their application. The purpose of this article is to describe the common deformities following such repairs, outline a strategy to avoid them, and review the surgical techniques to correct them.
Methods And Materials:
The deformities are categorized by the anatomic zones of the orbit, i.e., zygomatic, frontal, and nasoethmoidal, affected by low-, middle-, and high-energy impact. The common types of deformity and acute and late treatments are discussed for each category.
Results And/Or Conclusions:
The optimal time to correct posttraumatic orbital deformities is during the acute phase. Extended open reduction and rigid fixation techniques have their own morbidity, which must not outweigh the deformity of an untreated or partially treated injury. The results of late reconstruction are always limited by scarring of the overlaying soft tissue envelope.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Fractures: Bone Repair
Minor fractures with no bone displacement are treated by immobilizing the fractured bone using a cast or splint. However, in the case of fractures with displaced bones, the broken bones are repositioned before immobilization to ensure successful healing without deformation and loss of function. The realignment of fractured bone ends is performed through a process called reduction. If the procedure...
01:14Cranial Bones: Superior and Posterior View
The frontal bone is the single bone that forms the forehead. At its anterior midline, between the eyebrows, there is a slight depression called the glabella. The frontal bone also forms the supraorbital margin of the orbit. Near the middle of this margin is the supraorbital foramen, the opening that provides passage for a sensory nerve to the forehead. The frontal bone is thickened just above each supraorbital margin,...
01:27Cranial Bones: Lateral View
The temporal bone forms the lower lateral side of the skull. The temporal bone is subdivided into several regions. The flattened upper portion is the squamous portion of the temporal bone. Below this area and projecting anteriorly is the zygomatic process of the temporal bone, which forms the posterior portion of the zygomatic arch. Posteriorly is the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. Projecting...