Biomechanical analysis of an absorbable material for treating fractures of the inferior orbital wall
Authors:   School of Optometry, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; Jiangxi Research Institute of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory for Ophthalmology, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases Jiangxi Province Division, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China, Yu Jin-Hai , Zhang Huang ,   National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases Jiangxi Province Division, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Ophthalmic Disease, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China, Xu Qi-Hua ,   National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases Jiangxi Province Division, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Ophthalmic Disease, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China, Huang Qin ,   National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases Jiangxi Province Division, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Ophthalmic Disease, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China, Liao Hong-Fei ,   National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases Jiangxi Province Division, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Ophthalmic Disease, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China, Wang Yao-Hua ,   National Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases Jiangxi Province Division, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; The Affiliated Eye Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China; Jiangxi Clinical Research Center for Ophthalmic Disease, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
Published: June 2024

AIM: To investigate the biomechanical properties and practical application of absorbable materials in orbital fracture repair.
METHODS: The three-dimensional (3D) model of orbital blowout fractures was reconstructed using Mimics21.0 software. The repair guide plate model for inferior orbital wall fracture was designed using 3-matic13.0 and Geomagic wrap 21.0 software. The finite element model of orbital blowout fracture and absorbable repair plate was established using 3-matic13.0 and ANSYS Workbench 21.0 software. The mechanical response of absorbable plates, with thicknesses of 0.6 and 1.2 mm, was modeled after their placement in the orbit. Two patients with inferior orbital wall fractures volunteered to receive single-layer and double-layer absorbable plates combined with 3D printing technology to facilitate surgical treatment of orbital wall fractures.
RESULTS: The finite element models of orbital blowout fracture and absorbable plate were successfully established. Finite element analysis (FEA) showed that when the Young's modulus of the absorbable plate decreases to 3.15 MPa, the repair material with a thickness of 0.6 mm was influenced by the gravitational forces of the orbital contents, resulting in a maximum total deformation of approximately 3.3 mm. Conversely, when the absorbable plate was 1.2 mm thick, the overall maximum total deformation was around 0.4 mm. The half-year follow-up results of the clinical cases confirmed that the absorbable plate with a thickness of 1.2 mm had smaller maximum total deformation and better clinical efficacy.
CONCLUSION: The biomechanical analysis observations in this study are largely consistent with the clinical situation. The use of double-layer absorbable plates in conjunction with 3D printing technology is recommended to support surgical treatment of infraorbital wall blowout fractures.