How is an Orbital Fracture Treated?
An orbital fracture also called an orbital blowout fracture, is when one or more of the bones of the eye socket are broken. This is usually due to trauma to the eye, either from a motor vehicle accident, fall, or direct impact. Symptoms can include a lower sitting eye, double vision, pain, and loss of feeling in the cheek. This condition does not usually require surgical repair and is treated based on the symptoms and to prevent complications.
Bones of the Orbit
The orbit, or the eye socket, is composed of seven bones in the skull. These bones form the roof, or top of the socket, the lateral wall, the medial wall, and the floor or bottom of the socket.
The bones which contribute to the orbit are the frontal bone, maxillary bone, sphenoid bone, ethmoid bone, zygomatic bone, lacrimal bone, and palatine bone.
The floor of the orbit is composed of the maxillary bone, the zygomatic bone, and the palatine bone.
The maxillary bone is most of the lower eye socket and is usually the bone that is impacted in an orbital fracture.
How an Orbital Fracture Occurs
Trauma from some form of head injury is the most common cause of an orbital fracture. Whether this trauma is a large, diffuse impact such as a motor vehicle accident or significant fall, or the trauma is from a more localized impact such as a punch or being hit with a ball can determine the extent of the damage.
Larger, more widespread injuries may cause an orbital fracture as a part of a larger problem that can include a concussion, traumatic brain injury, or even a possible open head wound.
On the other hand, local trauma may present more acutely with only a black eye and other eye-related signs.
Symptoms of an Orbital Fracture
Aside from having a known traumatic incident, the symptoms that an orbital fracture will present include having a displaced eyeball, double vision, pain in and around the eye, and a loss of sensation on the upper cheek.
In an orbital fracture, the orbital floor can prolapse and allow the eyeball to fall below where it should be and cause an appearance as if the eye is displaced downward.
When the eye is misaligned from the fracture, it can cause double vision from the deviation or double vision may occur due to a restriction from a muscle that is trapped in the bone.
As with any trauma, there will be associated pain from the event. This pain may be localized to the lower side of the eye socket or can be spread across an entire side of the head.
A tell-tale sign of an orbital fracture is the loss of sensation to the upper cheek below the eye with the injury. If the orbit is fractured, the maxillary bone will likely pinch the nerves for this area and cause numbness to the cheek.
Treatment for Orbital Fracture
To confirm an orbital fracture, there should be a CT scan performed and evaluated. Once it is confirmed, the symptoms can be managed using pain medication, prism glasses, or occlusion of the eye until the damage resolves.
The damage will usually recover fully following an acute orbital fracture.
Our eye doctors at GHEye excel in the prescription of glasses, contact lenses and the diagnosis of a variety of eye diseases. Call our optometrists at (571) 445-3692 to schedule your appointment today to be evaluated for an orbital fracture. Our eye doctors, Dr. Ally Stoeger and Dr. Jennifer Sun provide the highest quality optometry services and eye exams in Gainesville VA and Haymarket VA.
An orbital fracture also called an orbital blowout fracture, is when one or more of the bones of the eye socket are broken. This is usually due to trauma to the eye, either from a motor vehicle accident, fall, or direct impact. Symptoms can include a lower sitting eye, double vision, pain, and loss of feeling in the cheek. This condition does not usually require surgical repair and is treated based on the symptoms and to prevent complications.
Bones of the Orbit
The orbit, or the eye socket, is composed of seven bones in the skull. These bones form the roof, or top of the socket, the lateral wall, the medial wall, and the floor or bottom of the socket.
The bones which contribute to the orbit are the frontal bone, maxillary bone, sphenoid bone, ethmoid bone, zygomatic bone, lacrimal bone, and palatine bone.
The floor of the orbit is composed of the maxillary bone, the zygomatic bone, and the palatine bone.
The maxillary bone is most of the lower eye socket and is usually the bone that is impacted in an orbital fracture.
How an Orbital Fracture Occurs
Trauma from some form of head injury is the most common cause of an orbital fracture. Whether this trauma is a large, diffuse impact such as a motor vehicle accident or significant fall, or the trauma is from a more localized impact such as a punch or being hit with a ball can determine the extent of the damage.
Larger, more widespread injuries may cause an orbital fracture as a part of a larger problem that can include a concussion, traumatic brain injury, or even a possible open head wound.
On the other hand, local trauma may present more acutely with only a black eye and other eye-related signs.
Symptoms of an Orbital Fracture
Aside from having a known traumatic incident, the symptoms that an orbital fracture will present include having a displaced eyeball, double vision, pain in and around the eye, and a loss of sensation on the upper cheek.
In an orbital fracture, the orbital floor can prolapse and allow the eyeball to fall below where it should be and cause an appearance as if the eye is displaced downward.
When the eye is misaligned from the fracture, it can cause double vision from the deviation or double vision may occur due to a restriction from a muscle that is trapped in the bone.
As with any trauma, there will be associated pain from the event. This pain may be localized to the lower side of the eye socket or can be spread across an entire side of the head.
A tell-tale sign of an orbital fracture is the loss of sensation to the upper cheek below the eye with the injury. If the orbit is fractured, the maxillary bone will likely pinch the nerves for this area and cause numbness to the cheek.
Treatment for Orbital Fracture
To confirm an orbital fracture, there should be a CT scan performed and evaluated. Once it is confirmed, the symptoms can be managed using pain medication, prism glasses, or occlusion of the eye until the damage resolves.
The damage will usually recover fully following an acute orbital fracture.