Being involved in a car accident can result in one of many different types of injuries, with some being more serious than others. One type of injury that you might endure are fractures to your eye socket. You may be surprised to learn that there are actually many different types of eye socket fracturs that may occur. These include:
- Orbital Rim Fracture: A break to the outer edge of the eye socket. Since the orbital rim is very thick, it can only be broken by extreme force, such as that which occurs in a car accident. This extra force may also cause damage to muscles, nerves and the connective tissues in the eye.
- Indirect Orbital Floor Fracture: Also referred to as a “blowout fracture,” this type of fracture usually occurs when an object hits you in the face. In a car accident, this most commonly occurs when a steering wheel hits you in the face. The resulting impact leaves a bony rim of the socket intact while also causing a hole in the floor of the eye socket. The resulting hole may trap nerves, muscles and other tissue, thereby making it difficult for the eye to move and causing vision issues.
- Direct Orbital Floor Fracture: This type of fracture usually only occurs as a result of severe trauma and occurs when an orbital rim fracture extends to the orbital floor and causes a direct orbital floor fracture.
- Trapdoor Fracture: This type of fracture usually only affects children due to the flexibility of their bones. This is another type of orbital floor fracture, but the bones flex outward and return to their normal position rather than actually breaking. This type of fracture may still lead to severe and even permanent damage.
If you have been involved in a car accident, contact Advanced Spine & Rehab to learn more about how we can help in your recovery process.