How long does it take for an orbital floor fracture to heal
Sarah Rodriguez
Published Apr 09, 2026
Conclusions: Orbital floor strength is regained 24 days after repair. The authors now let patients resume normal activities approximately 3 weeks after uncomplicated orbital floor fracture repair. This is one of many clinical factors in assessing the return to normal activities.
How do you repair an orbital floor fracture?
Repair of an orbital floor fracture involves bridging of the floor defect using one of the various biomaterials. More commonly, titanium meshes, porous polyethylene sheets, or autologous bone grafts. Titanium meshes and bone grafts are radiopaque.
Do orbital bones heal on their own?
The orbital bones surround the eye, protecting it and holding it in place. When these bones fracture (usually because of a blunt impact) they can sometimes heal on their own. However, more severe injuries may require corrective surgery to reconstruct your eye socket.
What is the effect of a orbital floor fracture?
The problem with orbital blowout fractures is that the volume of the orbit can be increased, resulting in enophthalmos and hypoglobus. In addition, the orbital tissue and inferior rectus muscle can become trapped by the bony fragments leading to diplopia, limitation of gaze, and tethering.Can I exercise with an orbital fracture?
Rest – Your doctor will instruct you to avoid any strenuous exercise, and will instruct you to not forcefully blow your nose after the fracture has been diagnosed. This is to prevent air from the sinuses around the eye from going under the skin and causing swelling and more discomfort.
Does orbital floor fracture require surgery?
Often, the fracture occurs in the orbital floor or medial wall. While some orbital fractures do not require surgery, large fractures or fractures that cause enophthalmos or diplopia do necessitate a surgical procedure.
Can a orbital floor fracture heal on its own?
Some orbital wall fractures heal on their own, while others require surgery. Your doctor will discuss which treatment is right for you. Two types of surgery are used for orbital wall fractures: Traditional surgery, which requires an open incision.
What signs and symptoms may be seen with an orbital floor fracture?
- Bruising — Blood pooling under the skin can cause bruising around the eyes.
- Changes in vision — An orbital fracture may cause double vision.
- Eyeball changes— Changes might include blood in the white part of the eye, difficult or decreased eye movement or sunken eyeballs,
How hard is it to break an orbital bone?
The orbital rim is very thick, so only extreme force, such as an injury from a car accident, can break it. This extra force can also injure the nerves, muscles, and connective tissues in the eye. Direct orbital floor fracture.
What does an orbital fracture feel like?Ocular or orbital injury types Patients with ocular or orbital injuries may present with pain in and around the orbit, bruising, swelling, bleeding from lacerations, and facial numbness, and may complain of changes in vision. These injuries may require only observation or surgery spanning from simple to complex.
Article first time published onHow common is an orbital fracture?
Fractures of the orbital floor are common: it is estimated that about 10% of all facial fractures are isolated orbital wall fractures (the majority of these being the orbital floor), and that 30-40% of all facial fractures involve the orbit. The anatomy of the orbital floor predisposes it to fracture.
How long does numbness last after an orbital fracture?
Numbness of these areas frequently occurs with orbital floor fractures. This is not a visible finding, but it can be somewhat of a nuisance. This numbness (infraorbital nerve hypesthesia) frequently resolves over 4-6 months.
What is a right orbital floor fracture?
Orbital floor fracture This is when a blow or trauma to the orbital rim pushes the bones back, causing the bones of the eye socket floor buckle to downward. This fracture can also affect the muscles and nerves around the eye, keeping it from moving properly and feeling normal.
Where is the orbital floor located?
The orbital floor, which forms the roof of the maxillary sinus, slopes upward toward the apex of the pyramid, which lies roughly 44 to 50 mm posterior to the orbital entrance [3,4]. This complicated anatomy makes repair and reconstruction of orbital fracture difficult for a novice (Fig. 1).
How long do facial fractures take to heal?
They will heal themselves over 3-6 weeks. want to bring the broken bones back into a normal alignment (called ‘reducing’ the fracture) and keep it/them in this place (called ‘fixing the fracture’), preventing further injury. Sometimes they will need to operate to do this.
What bone is the orbital floor?
The floor of the orbit consists of three bones: the maxillary bone, the palatine bone, and the orbital plate of the zygomatic bone. This part of the orbit is also the roof of the maxillary sinus.
Which bone makes up most of the floor of the orbit?
The floor, or inferior wall, separates the orbit and the maxillary sinus. It is formed by three bones: maxilla, zygomatic bone, and palatine bone. The orbital surface of the maxilla makes up most of it while small portions of the zygomatic and palatine bones make up the rest.
Where is the orbital bone around the eye?
The inferior wall, or orbital floor, is formed by the upper jawbone (maxilla), part of the cheek bone (zygomatic), and a small part of the hard palate (palatine bone). Fractures to the inferior floor most commonly come from a blow to the side of the face.