ORBITAL RECONSTRUCTION WITH HYDROXYAPATITE CERAMIC IMPLANTS

Thirteen patients with fractures of the orbital floor (inferior wall), medial and lateral walls, or so-called ''blowout'' fractures with or without fractures of the zygoma were treated with artificially made hy droxyapatite ceramic implants made entirely from limestone, some of wh ich were made with computer aided design and computer aided machinery (CAD-CAM) from data obtained from helical computed tomography. Orbital reconstruction with hydroxyapatite ceramic implants is a safe techniq ue which is superior to previous ones in which autogenous or plastic m aterials were used.