Masters of Clinical Anatomy Projects
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
2016
Journal
Masters of Clinical Anatomy Projects
Abstract
Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS), commonly performed to alleviate symptoms of chronic rhinosinusitis, may weaken the thin orbital walls which are susceptible to fracture in facial trauma. This study aims to assess how FESS affects orbital fracture risk. Ten fresh-frozen cadaveric heads underwent FESS on one side. The contralateral side served as intra-specimen control. Orbital trauma was induced using a guided weight-drop technique. Both orbits were tested using sequentially higher drops until orbital fractures were detected on computed tomography scans. Bone mineral density (BMD) was analyzed. All heads presented with a preferential medial wall fracture on the surgical side and orbital floor fracture on the non-surgical side (p < 0.01). Reduction in the energy required to induce a fracture in the medial orbital wall post-surgery, and the correlation between BMD and impact energy, was not significant (p > 0.05). Results provide improved informed consent for patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.