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Corneal biomechanical properties at different collagen cross-linking (CXL) fluences

Session Details

Session Title: Corneal biomechanics

Session Date/Time: Tuesday 08/10/2013 | 08:00-10:30

Paper Time: 10:12

Venue: Elicium 1 (First Floor)

First Author: : A.Hammer SWITZERLAND

Co Author(s): :    S. Mosquera   O. Richoz   D. Tabibian   F. Hoogewoud   F. Hafezi  

Abstract Details

Purpose:

CXL devices recently started using higher fluences and lower irradiation time, keeping the total energy constant according to the Bunsen-Roscoe law and assuming that the increase in biomechanical stiffness will remain the same. However, no clinical data is available to support this hypothesis.

Setting:

Ex-vivo experimental study. Department of Ophthalmology, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.

Methods:

We investigated the biomechanical properties of porcine corneas in 4 groups (n=16): 3 groups were exposed to riboflavin 0.1 % and to UVA irradiation at 3, 9 and 18 mW of intensity with an exposition time of 30, 10 and 5 minutes respectively. Controls were only exposed to riboflavin 0.1 %. Corneal strength was determined using a Zwick extensometer.

Results:

We observed a trend toward a decrease in the stiffening effect with the increase of UVA intensity, 18 mW/cm2 showing the least effect.

Conclusions:

We are currently increasing the number of eyes in our experiments to show significance. In the case of significance, the results might influence our clinical attitude towards hight-fluence CXL. Intrastromal oxygen diffusion capacity might be a limiting factor, correspondingly increased oxygen consumption associated to higher fluence may lead to reduced treatment efficiency.

Financial Interest:

... research is funded, fully or partially, by a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented