Orbital floor restoration

Orbital blow-out fractures reconstruction aims to restore the continuity of the orbital floor, to provide support of orbital contents and prevent soft tissues' fibrosis. Different materials have been tested over the years to reach this purpose. Traditionally, autogenous grafts have been used as the material of choice; in recent years alloplastic materials have gained popularity because of their availability and ease of use. The purpose of this study was to review materials used in orbital floor reconstructive surgery at the Department of Maxillo-Facial Surgery of University of Rome "La Sapienza", with emphasis on their biocompatibility, their shaping features, and mechanical properties. This report presents the results obtained by the application of these products on 379 patients who underwent surgical treatment for blow-out fractures from 1995 to 2003: the diagnosis of fracture of the orbital floor was based on clinical symptoms and CT axial scanning through coronal reconstruction. Follow-up period spanned from 1 to 8 years.