Animal model of porous polyethylene orbital implants.

Ophthalmologists continue to search for the ideal orbital implant for the anophthalmic socket. The successful long-term clinical performance of an implantable prosthesis is highly dependent on the materials from which the device is fabricated. Among the materials issues are chemistry, surface texture, and porosity. Polyethylene, a polymer comprised of simple hydrocarbon chains, is highly resistant to biological degradation and possesses mass and fabrication properties that would be favorable in an orbital implant. In this report, our early experimental experience with porous polyethylene orbital enucleation implants is reported. Our findings are sufficiently encouraging to warrant further exploration and refinement of the polyethylene device examined.