Overview of tools for the measurement of the orbital volume and their applications to orbital surgery

There are numerous applications in craniofacial surgery with orbital volume (OV) modification. The careful management of the OV is fundamental to obtain good esthetic and functional results in orbital surgery. With the growth of computer-aided design – computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) technologies, patient-specific implants and custom-made reconstruction are being used increasingly. The precise measurement of the OV before surgery is becoming a necessity for craniofacial surgeons. There is no consensus on orbital volume measurements (OVMs). Manual segmentation of computed tomography (CT) images is the most used method to determine the OV, but it is time-consuming and very sensitive to operator errors. Here, we describe the various methods of orbital volumetry validated in the literature that can be used by surgeons in preoperative planning of orbital surgery. We also describe the leading software employed for these methods and discuss clinical use (posttraumatic enophthalmos prediction and orbital reconstruction) in which OVMs are important.