How to Reduce Inferomedial Orbital Wall Fracture Using a Navigation System: Tips and Pearls

Abstract

The orbit is a confined space with a defined bony structure. Bony protrusion into the ethmoid or maxillary sinuses by the blowout fracture can displace orbital tissues, including rectus muscles and adjacent fascial septae. Especially, reconstructing the orbit’s floor and medial wall can be challenging when the inferomedial strut or posterior bony ledge is affected, leading to a loss of critical anatomic landmarks and support. Correctly positioning an implant in the precise anatomic location can be challenging. Recent updates to the navigation system have addressed this issue. Despite its early application, using a navigation system in these orbital fractures advances plastic surgeons in a way that has more confidence and accuracy in surgical planning. The video demonstrates how these 2 can be combined in an operating room. Intraoperatively, the authors check the superior, anterior, and posterior ends of the medial wall fracture and the posterior end of the floor fracture. A single orbital implant was trimmed and reshaped to match defect measurements. The implant placement was meticulously executed to repair the fracture while ensuring the inferior oblique muscle was not injured. After confirming the correct placement of the implant, it was secured to the inferior orbital rim using a single screw. Depending on the medial orbital wall fracture depth or degree of soft tissue herniation, the authors used an artificial dermal matrix or trimmed absorbable mesh plate to cover the uppermost part of the medial wall fracture to prevent postoperative enophthalmos. Finally, a forced duction test was performed. Our study shows that navigation-assisted inferomedial orbital wall reconstruction using materials readily available in the market is safe and effective.