Traumatic optic neuropathy (TON) is a serious complication combining craniocerebral, orbital and facial injuries. While there is currently no reliable animal model of this condition, it has been previously demonstrated that TON can cause the loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGC). In the current study, researchers from Shanghai Jiaotong University developed a novel mouse model of distal TON, with the aim of assessing the cascade reactions of RGCs in this disease.