Ocular motility disturbances in orbital wall fracture patients

It is difficult to identify the exact cause of ocular motility disturbances in orbital wall fracture patients. By performing CT and ocular motility tests before and after surgery, this study analyzes the functions of the extraocular muscles and determines correlations between the results. Between February 2001 and January 2003, 45 eyes of 45 patients with orbital wall fractures, whose medical records could be traced back at least 6 months, underwent surgical repair in our hospital. All variables were analyzed using the independent t-test, paired t-test, and Chi-square test. There was no significant difference in the location and degree of fracture and the incarceration pattern of 6 patients who had moderate or severe diplopia, and of the remaining patients 6 months after surgery. However, in the case of diplopia, the sum of ocular motility limitation was 5.67 +/- 4.18, and the degree of extraocular motility disturbance was 3.67 +/- 2.42 before surgery. When there was no diplopia, the sum of ocular motility limitation was 1.13 +/- 1.38, and the degree of extraocular motility disturbance was 1.08 +/- 1.16 (p < 0.005, independent t-test). Ocular movement was successfully recovered by surgical reduction within 3 weeks from trauma. Postoperative ocular motility disturbance was more related to various ocular motility test results than CT findings. Ocular motility disturbances can remain after surgery if ocular motility limitation and extraocular motility disturbance are significant after trauma. Additional studies on the various tests to examine functions of extraocular muscles are required to identify and analyze the exact cause of ocular motility disturbance.