What is an orbital blowout fracture?
The orbit is the frontal part of the skull that provides structure and a boney pocket for the eyeball to sit in. Fractures can occur anywhere around the orbital walls but are most common to the orbital floor because it has the weakest bone structure. What injuries can happen to the eye as a result of an orbital blowout fracture? Several serious injuries can occur to the eye as a result of the blunt force directly to the eyeball. The injuries include: • Hyphema (hemorrhage into the anterior chamber) • Retinal detachment A hyphema can result from the impact of a small ball directly into the eye. Within a few hours of impact, blood settles into the anterior chamber of the eyeball. This is a very serious eye injury requiring hospitalization, bed rest, bilateral patching of the eyes, and sedation. This condition usually resolves itself within a few days. A retinal detachment is another serious injury that can occur from blunt trauma to the eye, but may occur several months or years post-inj
