Trauma
It’s common to get eye and eye socket injuries, but it takes severe blunt eye trauma or sharp injuries to get orbital fractures (eye socket bone fractures, “blowout fracture”). The fracture is usually a result of the buckling of the bony orbit after taking a blunt impact. This buckling of the orbital rim and bones keep the eye safe, though it does cause fracture and nerve damage in the orbit and eye area, resulting in a recession or hollowing of the skin under the eye area.
The “orbital blowout fracture” isn’t only about the orbital rim and the eye. It can also affect the adjacent sinuses. When it does, it usually results in orbital hemorrhage, diplopia (double vision), and enophthalmos (sunken eyes). Some fractures require immediate orbital surgery, but in some cases, experts are forced to delay operation to repair the orbital fracture, as it takes time before the actual damage can be assessed and corrected. A perfect example of such a condition is when one sustains an orbital fracture resulting in sunken eyes.
Depending on the injury mechanism, some people who sustain orbital fractures also suffer from other injuries, including soft tissue damage, laryngotracheal injury, acute vision loss, or closed or open head injuries.
