What is the mechanism of injury typically associated with a ruptured globe?

The mechanism of injury typically associated with a ruptured globe is a piercing injury. When an object penetrates the eye, it can disrupt the integrity of the globe, leading to rupture. This is often caused by sharp objects, such as knives, projectiles, or other foreign bodies that invade the eye’s structure and create a rupture in the protective layers, including the sclera or cornea.

In contrast, blunt trauma, while capable of causing significant eye injury, typically leads to contusions or fractures around the eye rather than a complete rupture. Thermal burns can damage the eye but do not cause a rupture of the globe, and chemical exposure can harm ocular tissues but is unlikely to lead to the same traumatic rupture seen with piercing injuries. Thus, it is the nature of the piercing injury—due to its direct and invasive impact on the ocular structure—that is primarily responsible for causing a ruptured globe.