Another common facial fracture is the orbital floor or blow-out fracture. The mechanism of injury is usually blunt trauma to the eye ( globe ). This blunt trauma to the globe transmits energy to the bony orbit. Since the orbital floor is the thinnest, most fragile area of the bony orbit, it is more subject to fracture. There are two clinical results sometimes seen with the blow-out fracture—-
1…..Globe injury including ruptured globe or simply blood in anterior chamber ( hyphema ).
2…..Entrapment of the inferior rectus muscle. This might result in limited upward gaze and diploplia.
Either of these findings requires emergency consultation with the opthamologist/plastic surgeon. The orbital fracture is best diagnosed via CT orbit.
