Spontaneous Blinking Kinematics After Frontalis Muscle Flap Advancement.

PURPOSE: To measure the spontaneous blinking metrics after blepharoptosis correction with frontalis muscle flap advancement.

METHODS: A video system was employed to measure the amplitude and velocity of spontaneous blinking of 24 eyelids after the frontalis muscle flap surgery for blepharoptosis correction. A control group with no eyelid disorders was also measured. The data of 13 eyelids who had frontalis slings with autogenous fascia, which were previously collected with the same method in another study, were used for comparison. Digital images were used to measure the superior margin reflex distance and the presence of lagophthalmos during a gentle closure of the palpebral fissure. Superficial keratitis was assessed by corneal biomicroscopy.

RESULTS: The mean amplitude of spontaneous blinking was 6.3 mm in controls, 2.6 mm in the frontalis flap patients, and 2.1 mm in the fascia sling group. The mean blink velocity was 133.8 mm/second in controls, 39.0 mm/second (3.7 standard error) after the frontalis flap, and 36.3 mm/second in patients with frontalis sling with fascia. For these 2 parameters, there was no statistical difference between the surgical groups, but a significant reduction when compared with the control group. No significant association was found between lagophthalmos and keratitis and the surgical procedure.

CONCLUSIONS: There is no difference between the blinking metrics of eyelids operated using the frontalis muscle flap advancement technique or frontalis sling with autogenous fascia. The presence of lagophthalmos and keratitis also does not differ between the 2 procedures.