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Cohort studyOphthalmology and therapy · 2026

Eye Loss, Orbital Sequelae, and Prosthetic Rehabilitation Following Crowd-Control Kinetic Impact Projectile Injuries: The Largest Civilian Cohort.

Sebastián Córdova, Miguel Ángel Campos, Carmen Torres … José Luis Sanhueza

OphthalmologyCohort study

Most patients with kinetic-projectile eye loss achieved long-term ocular prosthesis use.

Eye Loss, Orbital Sequelae, and Prosthetic Rehabilitation Following Crowd-Control Kinetic Impact Projectile Injuries: The Largest Civilian Cohort.

Sebastián Córdova … José Luis Sanhueza

Ophthalmology and therapy · 2026

Background

During the 2019-2020 Chilean social unrest, massive police use of kinetic impact projectiles (kinetic impact projectiles) caused unprecedented severe ocular traumas, initially affecting over 460 individuals.

Methods

This retrospective cohort evaluated 57 individuals requiring ocular prostheses at Chile's national referral center (2019-2022).

n = 460 individuals

Results

of patients kept wearing their artificial eye long-term

73.7%

Pellets

21.1%

Tear-gas projectile

5.3%

Blunt trauma

More results

Kinetic impact projectiles caused 94.7% of irreversible globe losses (pellets 73.7%, a tear-gas projectile 21.1%, blunt trauma 5.3%).

A tear-gas projectile was significantly associated with a higher number of concurrent orbital/peri-orbital sequelae per individual (p = 0.002).

More results

Prevalent sequelae included palpebral scarring (43.9%), ptosis (26.3%), and orbital fractures (22.8%).

Prior conformer shell installation correlated with significantly more sequelae (p = 0.002).

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Conclusion · 1 of 3

During the repression of the 2019-2020 protests, "non-lethal" kinetic impact projectiles proved highly destructive.

Conclusion · 2 of 3

Beyond the globe loss itself, a tear-gas projectile was significantly associated with a high number of concurrent sequelae, uniquely causing widespread trauma, including maxillofacial fractures.

Conclusion · 3 of 3

Conversely, pellets-the most frequent kinetic impact projectiles-frequently resulted in isolated globe loss but caused specific severe outcomes, including all cases of anophthalmic cavity syndrome and persistent conjunctivitis, alongside most ptosis.

Post

Eye Loss, Orbital Sequelae, and Prosthetic Rehabilitation Following Crowd-Control Kinetic Impact Projectile Injuries: The Largest Civilian Cohort.

Most patients with kinetic-projectile eye loss achieved long-term ocular prosthesis use.

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