title: Use of x-ray film implant for the repair of orbital fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the experience with sterilized x-ray film in the repair of orbital blow-out fractures (BOFs).
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of case notes from 56 patients with orbital BOF repaired using sterilized x-ray film onlay implants at 2 institutions between November 2004 and December 2010. Patient demographics, timing of surgery, surgical approach, postoperative complications, and length of follow up were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-six patients (44 men, 12 women) received sterilized x-ray film implants during the 6-year study period. Mean age at the time of repair was 29 years (range 4-85 years). For 68% of patients, surgical repair was performed within 2 weeks of injury. Average length of postoperative follow up was 5.5 months (range 1-36 months), 48% had follow up >3 months. Following surgical repair, diplopia in primary or down gaze reduced from 98% to 4% and enophthalmos ≥2 mm reduced from 21% to 5% cases. One patient required a second operation for repositioning of an incompletely reduced fracture. A second patient presented 9 months postoperatively with recurrent episodes of proptosis, and the implant and its surrounding pseudocapsule were subsequently removed. There were no cases of visual loss, implant infection, or migration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This series has demonstrated that in selected orbital fractures sterilized x-ray film can provide a safe, effective, and low-cost onlay implant.
authors.affiliation: *Ophthalmology Department, University of Auckland and Greenlane Clinical Centre, Auckland, New Zealand; and †Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Insull
authors.forename: Richard H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: Brian H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Sloan
authors.forename: Guy J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Ben-Simon
authors.forename: Alan A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: McNab
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009917:Orbital Fractures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014962:X-Ray Film; D055815:Young Adult