An innovative reconstruction procedure for fractures extending to the posterior orbital floor: utilizing the inferior margin of the greater wing of the sphenoid bone for reconstruction

No definitive procedures have been proposed for orbital floor fractures extending to the slope of the posterior end, which is a challenging problem. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of an orbital reconstruction procedure based on anatomical landmarks that we developed, called the three landmarks procedure (TLP).

This study is a single-center retrospective cohort study conducted by the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Japanese Red Cross Asahikawa Hospital. Data were collected from April 2000 to December 2023. The effect of TLP and the balloon procedure (BP) on ocular movement was compared. The prevalence of postoperative enophthalmos after TLP was examined.

The study included 17 patients who underwent TLP and 25 patients who underwent BP. Postoperative mean Hess area ratio (HAR%) was 98.3 (95% confidence interval (CI), 97.0–99.6) in the TLP group and 88.6 (95% CI 83.2–94.0) in the BP group. Among study patients with fractures extending to the posterior slope, 14 underwent TLP and 16 underwent BP. Postoperative mean HAR% was 98.5 (95% CI 97.3–99.7) in the TLP group and 89.2 (95% CI 82.4–95.8) in the BP group. Among all patients who underwent TLP, mean postoperative enophthalmos was 0.06 mm (95% CI − 0.32 to 0.44). It was 0.14 mm (95% CI − 0.31 to 0.59) among patients with fractures extending to the posterior slope.

TLP resulted in better postoperative ocular movements than BP. Furthermore, TLP is an effective technique for treating fractures extending to the posterior slope, which are challenging to reconstruct.