title: Results of treatment of superior oblique overaction by silicone tendon-expander technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the results of treatment of a series of patients with superior oblique overaction using the superior oblique silicone tendon-expander technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  A chart review of 17 patients with superior oblique overaction who had a total of 26 silicone tendon-expander procedures was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean preoperative degree of superior oblique overaction was +2.7. 92% of eyes had mild (+1) or no residual overaction at last postoperative assessment (follow-up range: 6 to 59 months). Of 15 patients with preoperative A-pattern of 10 prism diopter (delta) or more, only two patients (13%) had A-pattern of 10 delta or more at last assessment. Of 13 patients with preoperative hypotropia in primary position, five patients (38%) had no vertical deviation in primary position, and seven patients (54%) had persistent, but less vertical deviation in primary position at last assessment (mean reduced from 11 delta to 4 delta). No patient manifested superior oblique palsy at their last postoperative assessment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe that the superior oblique tendon-expander technique should be strongly considered for the treatment of superior oblique overaction associated with A-pattern or hypotropia in primary position, because it has a high success rate and a low incidence of postoperative complications. Consecutive superior oblique underaction did not occur in this series.
authors.affiliation: Royal Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Seawright
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Gole
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009801:Oculomotor Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012826:Silicone Elastomers; D013285:Strabismus / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013710:Tendons / Q000601:surgery*; D015625:Tissue Expansion Devices; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D012826:Silicone Elastomers