Injuries to the lacrimal canaliculi occur most frequently caused by glass fragments laceration in automobile accidents, fighting, sports injury and fragments impelled by high explosives. When injuries involving the lacrimal canaliculi are not perfectly repaired, faulty healing causes the traumatic epiphora.
We had 25 cases of lacrimal canaliculi injuries who were admitted to plastic surgery of Severance hospital during the last 10 years. (from January, 1969 to December, 1978)
These patients were clinically analyzed and got following results.
1. The incidence of lacrimal canaliculi injury was 25 cases(14.2%) of the total 176 eye trauma cases.
2. Male was predominated over female by the ratio 7.3:1.
3. The mean age was 27 years old.
4. Left side was predominated over right by the ratio 1.4:1.
5. The most frequent cause was fighting(32%), and car accident(20%) in next.
6. The most frequent site of associated injury was medial canthal ligament(36%), and eye ball(24%) in next.
7. The average time interval from injury to repair was 10 hours.
8. The material of internal splint was nylon(50%), polyethylene tube(20.8%), silastic rod(12.5%), musclene(12.5%), silk(4.2%).
9. The 4 cases of obstruction were seen postoperatively.
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