Fractures of the orbital floor typically result from direct, blunt trauma with a rounded object to the eye.
When describing associated ophthalmic and/or neurologic injury, to consultants in particular, be aware of appropriate terminology to use in relaying the presence or absence of related physical findings.
The following ophthalmic abnormalities are commonly associated with orbitla floor fractures:
-- Enophthalmos (eye receded into the orbit) may occur when globe is
displaced posteriorly, often with prolapse of tissue into maxillary sinus.
-- Orbital dystopia (affected eye in a lower horizontal plane than the other) may
occur due to the pulling of entrapped muscle and orbital fat.
Remember to check for facial sensation, as decreased sensation along the ipsilateral cheek, upper lip, or upper gingiva suggests injury to the infraorbital nerve.
The presence of a teardrop-shaped pupil suggests that the globe ruptured.
