Orbital floor reconstruction with an alloplastic resorbable polydioxanone sheet

The orbital floor is frequently reconstructed after blow-out fractures or midface fractures to avoid a relapse of the repositioned orbital tissue and to prevent enophthalmos. A total of 31 patients underwent reconstruction of internal orbital wall fractures with a resorbable 0.25 mm or 0.5 mm-thick polydioxanone implant (PDS). Skeletal and functional outcome was evaluated retrospectively with regard to fracture size. Fracture size was graded as small, moderate or large by CT scans and operating records. Two of the 25 patients with small or moderate defects showed an enophthalmos of 2-3 mm. Five of the six patients with large defects or two orbital wall fractures had enophthalmos. The scar that formed after implant resorption was to weak to provide adequate support of the globe or to compensate the enlarged orbital volume. Endoscopic follow-up examination of 12 patients showed yielding of the scar in the orbital floor already in moderate defects. Eight patients had diplopia, in extreme gaze and two had significant diplopia. Blow-out and midfacial fractures with small to moderate defects in the orbital floor (up to a size of 2.5 cm(2)) can be reconstructed by polydioxanone sheet to avoid enophthalmos. Polydioxanone implants should only be used in cases without massive orbital fat herniation. The scar formed after implant resorption may influence functional outcome.