THE MISSING MUSCLE SYNDROME IN BLOWOUT FRACTURES - AN INDICATION FOR URGENT SURGERY

The purpose to this study was to determine whether early surgical repa ir is indicated for a severely entrapped inferior rectus muscle follow ing orbital blowout fracture. We report two patients with small blowou t fractures, severe entrapment of the inferior rectus muscle, and an a bsence of the inferior rectus muscle in multiple contiguous coronal co mputed tomography cuts. At surgery, we released the severely entrapped inferior rectus muscles with resolution of diplopia. We concluded tha t patients with the ''missing muscle syndrome'' require urgent surgica l intervention and that clinician review of radiologic studies is alwa ys prudent.