Forces charging the orbital floor after fractures

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Ophthalmology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Orbital floor defects can result from trauma or surgery.
• Accurate measurement of forces and material properties is crucial for effective reconstruction.
• Existing methods for evaluating orbital floor reconstruction materials are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a method for measuring orbital content forces and displacement in orbital floor defects.
• To characterize the puncture strength and compression resistance of polydioxanone (PDS) foil and collagen membranes.
• To assess the suitability of PDS foil and collagen membranes for orbital floor reconstruction.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of orbital floor defects (10x20 mm and 15x20 mm) in 6 fresh human heads.
• Measurement of forces and displacement of orbital content using a standardized testing setup.
• Evaluation of puncture strength for PDS foil and collagen membranes using a universal testing machine.

Main Results:

• Orbital content forces ranged from 0.04 N to 0.08 N depending on defect size and periorbita integrity.
• Displacement values without reconstruction averaged 0.94 mm and 1.2 mm for the respective defect sizes.
• PDS foil withstood significantly higher forces (118.9 N) compared to collagen membrane (44.5 N).

Conclusions:

• The study successfully established a method for measuring forces and displacement in orbital floor defects.
• PDS foil and collagen membranes demonstrate mechanical properties suitable for reconstructing orbital floor defects.
• These materials show potential for clinical application, particularly in smaller to medium-sized fractures.