Reconstruction of small orbital floor fractures with resorbable collagen membranes

Orbital floor fractures are the most common facial fractures. The goals of orbital floor fracture repair are to free incarcerated or prolapsed orbital tissue from the fracture defect and to span the defect with an implant to restore the correct anatomy of the orbital floor and the pretrauma orbital volume. No consensus exists on the choice of implants to be used for orbital floor reconstruction, and several implant materials are available.Our study intended to evaluate, for the first time, the effectiveness and complications related to the use of a resorbable collagen membrane in the reconstruction of small pure blow-out fractures. From October 2008 to November 2010, 23 patients who underwent reconstruction of the orbital floor using a resorbable collagen membrane following fracture were included in this study. At the 6-month follow-up, only 2 patients (9%) reported postoperative complications secondary to the operative procedure (surgical approach, orbital floor dissection), but these were not directly related to the use of the membrane. In 12 cases, a computed tomography scan revealed new bone formation beneath the membrane.On the basis of this data, we believe that the use of a resorbable collagen membrane is a safe and effective alternative for reconstruction of small (<3 cm(2)) pure orbital floor fractures.