Fracture of the eye socket (orbit of the eye): causes, symptoms, treatment methods, consequences

A fracture of the lower wall of the orbit of the eyes is one of the well-known types of injuries. The eye socket itself is a depression in the skull in which the eyeball is located. According to statistical data, men in the age group of 20 to 40 years are more likely to have ocular fractures.

In most situations, a bone fracture in the orbit of the eye occurs due to injuries, shock, fall from a height, traffic accidents, the use of firearms, domestic and industrial injuries. The fracture itself appears due to a sudden increase in pressure in the eye orbit. Orbital fractures are usually accompanied by injuries to the cheekbones, nose, frontal bone, etc.

Causes

You can get a fracture of the orbit of the eye due to:

• Car accident. During an accident, there is a lot of pressure on the skull, especially on its face.
• Fighting. A blow to the nose, forehead or cheekbones can result in eye injury, up to a fracture of the orbit.
• Hit the butt or sight of a firearm. If you use it incorrectly, for example, with a gun or rifle, recoil during the shot can cause injury.
• Attacks During a robbery or resistance to a criminal, a criminal may well hit his victim with a heavy object in the face in order to stun or blind.
• Playing sports. It has long been known that various martial arts are quite traumatic sports. Especially boxing, most of which are hit on the head. Also in this list you can include basketball and football. During the match, opponents may push each other or collide unsuccessfully, which often leads to injury.
• An accident. An unsuccessful combination of circumstances can lie in wait at home, at work or on a walk. For example, you can just slip on the ice and damage the eye orbit.
• Falls from a great height. This entails many different injuries, including skull injuries.
  

Kinds

The eyeball is located in the deepening of the skull. It is called an orbit in which there are walls, apex and base. When injured, bone tissue is damaged, this leads to a fracture of the eye. Depending on skin damage, fractures are:

• closed ones are inside;
• open - damage the skin.

By severity, injuries are divided into:

• fracture with displacement (without the help of a surgeon in this case can not do);
• injuries without displacement;
• cracks without fracture.

Symptoms

The doctor will help you cure the injury. The main thing is to find the problem behind the various symptoms.

The main symptoms of a fracture of the lower orbit of the eye:

1. Swelling of the area around the eye.
2. Weak mobility of the eyeball.
3. Diplopia is a split of objects.
4. Enophthalmos - the displacement of the eyeball into the orbit, or vice versa (exophthalmos).
5. Crunch at the bottom of the orbit.
6. Severe pain in the eye area.
7. The presence of hematomas.

Diagnostics

First you need to go through a traumatologist and an ophthalmologist. Doctors will examine the injury, examine the patient’s symptoms and make a diagnosis. To determine the severity of the injury, the patient will be sent to the procedure:

1. X-ray - allows you to consider the injury in more detail. This procedure will help determine the severity and location of the fractured bone.
2. Magnetic resonance imaging - will determine the general condition of the orbit. After carrying out all the above procedures, the patient will be prescribed treatment, he will be referred to specialized doctors who will begin treatment of the patient. A complex operation can also be prescribed, but this is only if, in addition to the orbit, other parts of the face are damaged.

Roentgen

X-ray of the orbits of the eyes is one of the main methods for examining the eyeball and internal tissues. It helps to obtain an image using an x-ray machine. This method reveals:

• tuberculosis and various diseases of the orbit;
• osteoma;
• congenital anomaly.

This type of diagnosis is the best due to the fact that:

• it is possible to identify various defects and recognize diseases of the early stages;
• suitable for any age;
• You can get a good picture to save on your computer;
• is cheap.

Consult a doctor to prescribe treatment. He will make the correct diagnosis. There are other diagnostic methods:

Method 1. First, the doctor examines the condition of the injury, and then conducts palpation. When making a diagnosis, he should talk about the symptoms. It is very important.

Method 2. An X-ray of the orbit must be carried out continuously. Using this method, you will see the condition of the bone tissue.

Surgical intervention

First, the patient needs first aid. It is required to treat the site of injury, and then apply an antiseptic dressing. After this, soon, it is required to call medical attention. If the patient has suffered a minor injury - a linear fracture, it can be treated conservatively. The patient should not stress the airways. This method can also be prescribed if surgical intervention can cause complications due to excessive pressure on the orbit. If on the contrary, a fracture of a high severity and is accompanied by a deterioration or loss of vision, you need to resort to surgical intervention. During an operation to fracture the orbit of the eye, the doctor will remove dead tissue and repair the bones. The types of operations are divided into 3 types:

• early surgery - carried out within 2 weeks after the fracture, is the most effective;
• “gray period” surgery - from 2 weeks to 4 months after injury;
• late surgery (osteotomy) - 4 months or more.

Rehabilitation

In case of fracture of the orbit wall of the eye, special attention should be paid to the rehabilitation period. The better it is, the faster healing will occur. Recovery in duration lasts from a couple of weeks to a month and a half. In the first two days, the patient is under the supervision of specialists in the hospital. For a quick recovery during the rehabilitation period and for preventive measures, different drugs are used. During treatment, rehabilitation is required, the patient is prescribed medications (painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, a complex of vitamins and antibiotics) and physiotherapy.

Drug therapy

Includes medication:

1. Painkillers. For example, "Analgin."
2. Anti-inflammatory. You can also combine the first two properties and buy non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which relieve pain and reduce inflammation. For example, Nurofen, Ibuprofen, Ketorol, Nise, and many others. Most of them can be bought on a prescription form, but there are also over-the-counter leave, which also help a lot.
3. Antibiotics. They are released strictly according to a doctor’s prescription! Perhaps the doctor will prescribe medications that help restore bone tissue. For example, "Mummy."
4. Vitamin-mineral complexes or drugs that strengthen the immune system (immunomodulators). It is also very important that the patient follows all the recommendations of the doctor for a quick recovery. He also provided himself with rest, ate healthy foods (vegetables, fruits) and limited the strain on his eyes.

A full range of rehabilitation lasts from 2 weeks to 2 months. The first days of rehabilitation should be supervised by a doctor. The bone itself is restored up to 3 months, healing is divided into 3 stages:

• 1-10 days after the fracture - the body moves away from the injury;
• 10-45 days - primary callus is formed;
• up to 3 months - complete bone marrow formation.

Effects

The negative consequences of any injuries, especially when it comes to the bones of the facial skull, can lead to a deplorable outcome. The likelihood of serious consequences after an orbital orbital injury will directly depend on the nature of the injury, the speed of emergency care and the involvement of the optic nerve, blood vessels and muscles of the eyeball. Among the most common consequences of an orbital fracture of the eye (photo of the injury above) can be identified:

1. Violation of visual function in the event that there is damage to the channel in which the optic nerve passes, as well as the nerve itself.
2. Deviation of the visual axis of the eye, and as a result, doubling of the image (in the clinic this condition is called diplopia).
3. Strabismus. A condition when a person, looking at any object in front of him, cannot fix his gaze on him simultaneously with both eyes. This is due to a violation of the coordinated work of the muscles of the eyeball due to trauma and violation of their innervation.
4. The attachment of a bacterial infection, since this is a dangerous localization, in the sense that there are a lot of vessels in this place, all this can lead to septic shock if therapy is not prescribed in time.
   

Complications

A fracture of the orbit of the orbit can lead to the following complications:

1. Facial deformity.
2. Visual impairment.
3. Strabismus, diplopia.
4. Poor mobility of the eyeball.

Timely access to a doctor will reduce the risk of these complications. If you do not consult a doctor for a certain time, the patient's condition will worsen. In the absence of treatment, 2 weeks after the fracture, fibrous adhesions begin to form, the bone walls of the eye orbit begin to collapse. Scar tissue begins to form, due to which deformation of the face occurs. After 3 months, the deformation is considered formed.

If treatment is not started in time, after the hematoma has formed, over time fibrin filaments are deposited, and as a result, fibrotic adhesions form. With which then it will be necessary to fight for a long time and painfully.

Tips for orbital fracture

These tips must be remembered:

• Do not throw your head back.
• Place a swab in your nostrils to stop the loss of blood.
• Apply something cold to reduce swelling.
• Wash your wounds with a disinfectant solution (Chlorhexidine). Peroxide is useless in this case.