Diplopia following midfacial fractures

Over a period of 2 years, 363 patients who had sustained a total of 438 midfacial fractures due to blunt trauma received a full ophthalmological examination within 1 week of injury. Of these, 72 patients (19.8%) developed diplopia. Diplopia was most common following road traffic accidents (31%) and least common with simple falls (10%). Blow-out fractures of the orbit led to double vision in 58% of cases. Eighty two percent of patients recovered from diplopia within 6 months of injury; only 1 patient required squint surgery for double vision. The principal risk factors for diplopia comprise road traffic accidents, blow-out fractures and comminuted malar fractures. Early surgical reconstruction of midfacial fractures with conservative management of concomitant motility disorders has, in our series, resulted in very few patients having diplopia in the long term.