Meat Hook–Associated Occupational Eye Injury Presenting with Globe Luxation, Optic Nerve Avulsion, and Open Globe Injury

Year 2025, Volume: 7, 6 - 12, 31.12.2025

Tolga Ay , Ahmet Akcan

Abstract

Introduction:Traumatic globe luxation is a rare but vision threatening condition that typically results from high energy orbital trauma and may be accompanied by severe complications such as extraocular muscle rupture, open globe injury, and optic nerve avulsion.

Case presentation: We report a unique case of occupational penetrating trauma caused by a meat hook, resulting in globe subluxation, medial rectus rupture, posterior open globe injury, and complete optic nerve avulsion. Emergency lateral canthotomy and cantholysis were performed, followed by staged surgical exploration, repair of the scleral defect, reattachment of the medial rectus muscle, scleral fixation of the avulsed optic nerve stump, and successful repositioning of the globe into the orbit. Despite the absence of visual recovery due to optic nerve avulsion, postoperative follow up demonstrated
restoration of anatomical stability, improvement in ocular motility, and satisfactory cosmetic outcome.

Conclusion: This case represents one of the most severe forms of traumatic globe luxation reported in the literature and highlights the importance of early decompression, systematic exploration, and reconstructive efforts even in the presence of devastating optic nerve injury.

Keywords

Traumatic globe luxation , optic nerve avulsion , open globe injury , extraocular muscle rupture , orbital trauma , penetrating eye injury , meat hook injury , globe repositioning , ocular emergency , occupational injury

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