Article Sections

Introduction

An orbital fracture is a break in ≥1 of the bones surrounding the eye.  These fractures typically occur due to blunt trauma and present with periorbital edema, bony tenderness, and ecchymosis.  Fractures of the thin orbital floor are common and can lead to complications such as extraocular muscle entrapment, diplopia, and infraorbital nerve injury.

Anatomy

The orbit has the following boundaries:

  • Superiorly:  thick orbital plate of the frontal bone
  • Laterally:  thick bone of the zygoma and greater and lesser sphenoid wings
  • Medially:  thin ethmoid and lacrimal bones, which separate the orbit from the ethmoid air cells
  • Inferiorly (known as the orbital floor):  thin layer of bone that separates the orbit from the air-filled maxillary sinus and is composed of the maxilla bone, palatine bone, and the orbital plate of the zygoma

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