Use of anteriolateral wall of maxilla for reconstruction of orbital floor fracture: A clinical study

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to assess the utility of anterolateral wall of maxilla as a bone graft to reconstruct the continuity of orbital floor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carried out at Datarkar Institute of Maxillofacial Surgery, Pratap Nagar, Nagpur. Out of five patients selected, three were male and two were female. All the patients had intact anterolateral wall of maxilla on contralateral side. In all the patients the reduction of the zygomatic complex fracture was done by Keen's approach. The fractures were stabilized by miniplates. From the contralateral sides,bone graft of 1.5 × 2 cm size was harvested from which were intact in all the patients. All the patients were reviewed at regular interval, initially once every week for 1 month, followed by once in every month for next 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Five patients with orbital floor defects of medium size average 1.16 cm size (range 0.8-1.5 cm) were grafted by using autogenous bone graft harvested from anterolateral wall of maxilla. All the patients were successfully reconstructed with restoration of the orbital wall continuity. We have not come across any complications like infection, exposure, and extrusion of the graft. Only one patient did not show much improvement in enopthalmous where the size of the defect was large. CONCLUSIONS: The use of harvested bone graft from the anterolateral wall of the maxilla is better option for the reconstruction of orbital floor defects.