Question: What exam findings should you document with an orbital wall fracture?

Answer: The orbital bones are designed to crumple with orbital impacts. This keeps the eyeball from exploding from impact … a system like the crumple zones on a car. With any orbital bone fracture, you should of course check the eye and vision. Also, focus on:

  • Orbital rim fractures (feel the edges of the orbit for step-off fracture)
  • Enophthalmos/exophthalmos (use a Hertel exophthalmometer to measure the eye position)
  • Diplopia (particularly, you need to rule out restriction)
  • V2 facial sensation (this nerve runs along the orbital floor)

Comments and Feedback
3 Comments »


[…] Question: What exam findings should you document with an orbital … Answer: The orbital bones are designed to crumple with orbital impacts. This keeps the eyeball from exploding from impact … a system like the crumple zones on a car. With any orbital bone fracture, you should of course check the eye and … […]

Pingback by Question: What exam findings should you document with an orbital … — January 29, 2008 @ 8:58 am


Good words.

Comment by Trava — October 27, 2008 @ 9:15 am


My 2 year old son, ran into a draw that had been left open by his 4 year old sister, hurting the outer orbital bone, bruising his eyelid, on saturday, and as today has gone on he has a very blooshot eye in the outer corner of his eye, i have not taken him to the G.V.Health hospital as he is unwell with a heavy cold, and everytime we go to this hospital,we are made to wait for hours and hours without much success even when we do get to be seen, i will however ring our local Dr first thing in the morning, but i am interested to hear from anyone that may have some info to pass on to us worried Parents,

Comment by Tamara Currie — June 27, 2010 @ 7:23 am


Leave a comment