[Fractures of the orbital floor (author's transl)]

Within 5 years (1973--1977) 171 facial fractures were treated surgically at the University ENT-Clinic Marburg. 115 cases (67,3%) showed a fracture of the orbital floor, either an isolated fracture of the orbital floor (24 cases) or combined with fractures of the orbital rim in combination with midfacial lesions of the central type (42 cases) or of the lateral type (49 cases). After analysing the mechanism of those fractures the main symptoms and the most important diagnostic investigations (x-ray tomograms, synoptometric investigations, forced-duction-test) are shown. By two examples the results of the prae- and postoperative synoptometric investigations are explained. Those investigations enable a more exact diagnosis in all types of orbital fractures and demonstrate exactly the postoperative functional results.