To investigate the clinical characteristics of ocular injuries for the prevention and predictability of visual prognosis and the treatment of ocular injuries using the ocular trauma score.

A retrospective survey was performed in 1341 eyes of 1257 patients, who visited Korea University Medical Center from May 2009 to December 2009. The sex, age, causes, diagnosis, primary ocular surgery, injury site, initial and final visual acuities and complications were statistically reviewed. The ocular trauma score was calculated by assigning certain numerical raw points to the following six variables: initial visual acuity, globe rupture, endophthalmitis, perforating injury, retinal detachment, and a relative afferent pupillary defect. The correlation of the ocular traumascore with the final visual acuity was investigated.

The incidence of ocular injuries was higher in males (79.0%) than in females and was more common in people in their 40s and 20s respectively. Among the patient the diagnoses, corneal erosion was most common in males, orbital wall fracture was most common in females, and corneal erosion, orbital wall fracture, orbital contusion, and hyphema were most common overall. An ocular trauma score was less than 44 in 6 eyes (0.7%), 9 eyes (1.0%) between a score of 45 and 65, 48 eyes (5.2%) between a score of 66 and 80, 122 eyes (13.2%) between a score of 81 and 90, and 737 eyes (79.9%) between a score of 91 and 100.

The present study determined that the ocular trauma score showed a good visual predictive value and could be used in prevention and treatment of ocular injuries.