Evaluation of saccadic velocity in patients with orbital floor fracture before and after surgery

Saccadic eye movement plays an important role in the rapid movement of the eyes to visual targets; however, it has not been fully investigated in patients with an orbital floor fracture. Thus, this study investigated saccadic eye movement before and after surgery in patients with an orbital floor fracture. The saccadic peak velocity (PV) was recorded using an eye-tracking device before and after surgery in nine eyes of nine patients with an orbital floor fracture. The type of fracture was a depressed fragment fracture in all cases, and there was no trap-door fracture. Ocular motility and diplopia were evaluated by the Hess area ratio (HAR%) and the scoring of binocular single vision (BSV). The preoperative HAR% and those at 1 month post-surgery and the final post-surgery observation were 62 ± 6%, 83 ± 11%, and 91 ± 8%, respectively. The preoperative, 1 month post-surgery, and final observation post-surgery BSV scores were 34 ± 18, 46 ± 8, and 50 ± 8 points, respectively. The postoperative HAR% and BSV were significantly improved at the final post-surgery observation (p < .05 each). The saccadic PVs of adduction, abduction, and downgaze before and after surgery were not significantly different in both the non-injured eyes and the injured eyes. However, the upgaze saccadic PVs at 1 month and the final post-surgery observation in the injured eyes were significantly increased (p < .05 each). The saccadic PV may be useful to evaluate detailed and precise extraocular muscle function before and after surgery for orbital floor fractures.