Do we have to dissect infraorbital nerve from periorbita in orbital floor fracture?

The aim if this study was to see whether we have to dissect the infraorbital nerve from periorbita in orbital floor fractures.Orbital floors were reconstructed in 174 patients. Among them, 31 patients were treated with horseshoe-shaped synthetic sheets. Preoperative and postoperative findings including hypesthesia, diplopia, Hertel exophthalmometry, and occurrence of complications were checked.After the subciliary incision through skin and orbicularis oculi muscle, the skin-muscle flap was elevated just superficial to the orbital septum to the arcus marginalis. The periosteum was incised and elevated to expose the fracture site. The orbital branch of the infraorbital artery was identified. The periorbita was not separated from the infraorbital nerve, and the orbital branch of the infraorbital artery was preserved. The sheet was trimmed in horseshoe shape as the cleft fits to the infraorbital groove.On physical examination before surgery, diplopia was the most common (58.1%) associated complication, followed by hypesthesia (35.5%), limited ocular movement (9.7%), enophthalmos (3.2%), and hematoma (3.2%).Even if the fracture site is the posterior half, the periorbita does not have to be separated from the infraorbital nerve to avoid injury of the orbital branch of the infraorbital artery. Instead, the fracture site might be covered by a horseshoe-shaped sheet.