Open Globe Injuries with Concurrent Orbital Fractures - Clinical Settings and Factors Predicting Outcomes

We describe the clinical settings and the factors predicting outcomes in open globe injuries with concurrent orbital fractures.

Retrospective, consecutive, non-comparative study. All eyes from January 2014 to January 2021 with concurrent open globe injuries with orbital fractures that underwent management were included. The clinical data of each patient who underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination was entered into a browser-based electronic medical records system (eyeSmart EMR) by uniformly trained ophthalmic personnel and supervised by an ophthalmologist using a standardized template. Favorable functional outcome was defined as the final best corrected visual acuity of >20/200 as per the World Health Organization (WHO) definitions of severe visual impairment and blindness. A favorable anatomic outcome was defined as preservation of the globe, absence of hypotony, attached retina, and absence of active inflammation at the last visit. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was done to assess the effect of various demographic and clinical factors and the type of orbital fracture on the final anatomic and functional outcome.

Ninety-one eyes of 91 patients were included in the study. Females accounted for 74/91 (81.3%) of the eyes. Modes of trauma was rupture in 67%, perforating in 5.5% and penetrating in 27.5% of the cases. Orbital rim involvement was seen in 79.1%. The most common isolated fracture seen was a medial wall (19.78%), which was followed by the orbital floor (15.38%). Favorable functional outcome was seen in 10 eyes (11%), while a favorable anatomic outcome was achieved in 45 (49.5%). Odds of a favorable functional outcome were 6.12 (95% CI 1.22 to 30.71), p = .02 for an open globe injury with orbital fracture in the absence of a concurrent retinal detachment. Odds of a favorable anatomic outcome were 55.55 (95% CI 2.43 to 1250), p = .01 when the injury did not involve zone 3, 9.94 (95% CI 2.05 to 48), p = .004 when concurrent retinal detachment was absent, 16.3 (95% CI 1.42 to 187.19), p = .02 when the orbital rim was intact and 7.83 (95% CI 1.09 to 56.19), p = .04 when only one orbital wall was involved.

Open globe injuries with concurrent orbital fractures result in a very poor functional outcome. Concurrent retinal detachment is a negative predictive factor. Associated fractures involving the orbital rim increase the risk of eyeball loss.