When a strong force compresses the eyeball, pressure is passed into the surrounding tissues. The bones around the orbit are very thin. When enough pressure is present, the bones will break. The most common location is the bones below the eye, which make up the floor of the orbit and the roof of the maxillary sinus.

When the bones rupture, the eyeball and surrounding muscles settle into the fractured area. When this occurs, the surrounding eye muscles can become trapped in the fractured bone, which prevents the injured eye from moving normally.

Causes include:

• Sports injuries
• Altercations
• Occupational injuries
• Automobile accidents