Is It Common to Have Restricted Eye Movement Up After an Eye Orbit Fracture, Entrp Muscle?

Following a orbit floor fracture, the eye muscles and/or connective tissues can become entrapped within the fracture, especially the inferior rectus muscle.  In this situation, surgery is indicated the release the muscle or tissues. Following the surgery, the eye movement can resticted for many reasons; edema(most common), and inflammation. These conditions improve with time.

Nine days after surgery, restricted movement is most likely due to swelling in the orbit. It is unlikely that the muscle has necrosed (died) as this would usually present with excruciating pain, but it is possible that the muscle is still stuck in place due to entrapment or scarring.  Your surgeon can test for this by manually mobilizing the eye with forceps.

Most likely the muscles are still swollen and mobility and double vision will improve over the next few weeks.  Discuss with your surgeon.

Dr. Crosby's note is correct.  You should ask the managing ophthalmologist whether adding steroids might be helpful to reduce swelling associated with the original trauma and the subsequent surgery.  This might shorten the healing time.  Occasionally, the surgeon may place a "plate" over the fracture site.  While this is often necessary if the fracture is sufficiently large, there may be additional resultant swelling, scarring, and restricted eye movement.  

Ask your managing ophthalmologist to refer your daughter to a strabismus (eye misalignment) specialist.  Pediatric ophthalmologists are particularly experienced in managing persistent diplopia (double vision), sometimes with prism glasses, sometimes with additional (eye muscle) surgery.

Good luck!

A fracture of the bones around the eye can cause double vision for two reasons:

1. Entrapment of the muscle within the broken bone fragments.
2. Swelling of the muscle, fat and connective tissue within the orbit due to bleeding or inflammation.

If a muscle is entrapped, surgery is indicated to release the muscle as was done with your daughter. However, the residual swelling within the orbit or possibly a residual blood clot within the previously trapped muscle may be limiting her eye movements and causing double vision. It can take approximately 6 weeks to 3 months in some cases for all of the swelling to resolve, so patience is necessary.
However, if the vision in this eye alone is worsening or the double vision is worsening you need to return to your surgeon immediately to ensure to no additional bleeding occurred.