Orbital floor fractures-a comparison between CT images and findings at surgery

The present study aims to investigate how well CT images correlate to surgical findings in orbital floor fractures and to the presence of diplopia.

In this cross-sectional study, 27 consecutive patients already selected for surgery due to an orbital floor fracture underwent a routine CT scan (axial, coronal, sagittal). An ophthalmologist established any presence of diplopia. Extent of fracture/injury seen on CT was compared to that discovered during surgery.

In the surgeons´ opinions CT-images were in concordance with surgical findings in 71% of the cases. Agreement for pure blow out fractures was high (92%). Tetrapod fractures as a cause of an orbital floor fracture was only identified as such by surgeons in three of 11 cases, all subjected to orbital exploration, not only a closed reduction. Diplopia showed a significant correlation to rounding of the inferior rectus muscle at coronal CT. "Rounding" significantly correlated with the presence of a floor defect, to herniation of soft tissues and to the volume of displaced tissue.

The results imply that the joint professional interaction between neuroradiology and surgery is important and would benefit from the use of an easy and well-defined classification system of orbital floor fractures. In Sweden a national record to collect data on all zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures assessed is to be started aiming at making general statements possible by time.