Ophthalmic complications following maxillofacial and midface fractures: a systematic review”

Maxillofacial fractures can lead to significant ophthalmic complications, affecting patient outcomes. This systematic review synthesizes current evidence regarding the incidence, causes, and types of ocular injuries associated with facial fractures, while evaluating inter-study variability and risk of bias. Following the PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search of PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases was performed. Twenty-one studies, including 7,998 participants, met the inclusion criteria. Among them, 3,693 patients presented with ophthalmic complications after facial fractures. Orbital fractures were the most prevalent, with injuries primarily resulting from road traffic accidents and assaults. Subconjunctival hemorrhage was the most common ocular injury. Heterogeneity across studies was assessed descriptively due to the diversity of study designs and outcomes, while risk of bias was evaluated using adapted criteria for observational studies. The findings underscore the necessity for standardized diagnostic and reporting criteria to enable future quantitative synthesis and guide clinical protocols for early detection and management of ocular complications.