Assessment of the association between in vivo corneal biomechanical changes after collagen cross-linking and depth of demarcation line

Session Details

Session Title: Corneal Biomechanics

Session Date/Time: Sunday 15/09/2019 | 16:30-18:00

Paper Time: 16:36

Venue: Free Paper Forum: Podium 4

First Author: : R.Vinciguerra ITALY

Co Author(s): :    A. Tzamalis   V. Romano   E. Arbabi   M. Batterbury   S. Kaye                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

To test for an association between stiffening following corneal crosslinking (CXL) and the depth of the demarcation line (DL).

Setting:

The Royal Liverpool University Hospital

Methods:

Sixty-six eyes of 66 patients treated with CXL for progressive KC were included. Dynamic Corneal Response Parameters (DCRs) were measured with the Corvis ST (OCULUS Optikgeräte GmbH; Wetzlar, Germany) on the day of CXL and after one month. DL was measured 4 weeks post-CXL. A multivariate general linear model (MGLM) was used to test for an association between the change in DCRs and the ratio between DL depth and the postoperative pachymetry (DLR)

Results:

We found no significant associations between the change in Inverse Concave Integrated Radius (1/R) and the DLR (p=0.46), age (p=0.33), sex (p=0.11), preoperative Kmax (p=0.10) and laterality (p=0.82). Similarly, there was no significant correlation between the change in 1/R and the DLR (R2=0.002 and p=0.75). There was, however, a significant association between the pre-operative values of 1/R and the respective change in 1/R (p<0.0001). The change in 1/R was inversely proportional to the patients preoperative 1/R, that is patients with stiffer corneas (lower values of 1/R) stiffened less than those with less stiff corneas (R2=0.23, p<0.0001).

Conclusions:

CXL is associated with changes in DCRs suggesting a change in corneal biomechanics following CXL. These changes, however, do not appear to be associated with the depth of the demarcation line.

Financial Disclosure:

receives consulting fees, retainer, or contract payments from a company producing, developing or supplying the product or procedure presented