Purpose: To report a patient with optic nerve avulsion caused by forceful rotation of the globe that occurred when his thumb penetrated the orbit while he was diving.
Methods: A 17-year-old boy was initially examined for sudden loss of vision after jumping feet first from a bridge 50 feet above a river. Upon hitting the water, he felt his right thumb push into his right globe. The patient underwent ophthalmologic and imaging examination.
Result: Examination disclosed a tear of the optic nerve head from the sclera temporally in the right eye.
Conclusion: Optic nerve avulsion occurs secondary to forceful rotation of the eye with tearing of the optic nerve as it exits the globe.