Use of a Titanium Buttress to Prevent Implant Displacement in Extensive Orbital Blowout Fracture.

Burm, Jin Sik; Hyuan, Jae Hyung; Oh, Suk Joon; Roh, Tai Suk

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons 2000;27(1):92-96.
Published online January 1, 2000.

Use of a Titanium Buttress to Prevent Implant Displacement in Extensive Orbital Blowout Fracture.

Jin Sik Burm, Jae Hyung Hyuan, Suk Joon Oh, Tai Suk Roh

Abstract

The operative treatment of orbital blowout fracture involves restoration of intra-orbital soft tissue and bony structural integrity. In extensive blowout fracture, postoperative edema and subsequent increase of intraoribital pressure may sometimes lead to displace the implant. To prevent postperative displacement of the implant, we tried reinforcing the implant using a buttress consisting of micro-titanium mesh and titanium mesh in 13 cases of extensive orbital blowout fracture, including medical wall fracture (6), inferior wall fracture (5) and inferomedial wall fracture (2). A small thin titanium buttress was inserted beneath the implant at the point where intraorbital pressure was involved maximally. It was usually placed superoinferiorly in a medial wall fracture wall fracture, mediplaterally along th posterior ridge of bony defect in an inferior wall fracture, and anteroposteriorly in an inferomedial wall fracture. No evidence of implant displacement after operation was noted in any cases and this was confirmed by postoperative computed tomographic scan. Also, any complication by a titanium buttress did not occur. Orbital implant reinforcement using a titanium buttress may be an available technique for preventing implant displacement in reconstruction of extensive orbital blowout frature.