[Cutting edges after automatic lamellar keratotomy].
BACKGROUND
In order to perform an automatic lamellar keratotomy microkeratomes are used, which differ from each other in several technical details. This study was done to examine, whether there are characteristics of the cutting edge, typical of each device, and whether there are some correlations between the cutting quality and technical parameters.


METHODS
In Germany seven different keratomes are used today. We performed the procedure of automatic lamellar keratotomy by using each of them on 8 fresh enucleated pig eyes and we examined the corneal tissue by means of scanning electron microscopy. The cutting edges were judged by their smoothness and sharpness.


RESULTS
A dominantly smooth cutting edge was found on the corneas cut by the MKM-System, the Universal Keratome and the BK-Microkeratome Set, while the Automatic Corneal Shaper, the Microtech-Mikrokeratom, the Rotor-Keratom and the Schwind-Mikrokeratom mostly produced a saw-toothed edge.


CONCLUSIONS
The quality of the cutting edge may be influenced by the relationship of the speed of the pass and the rate of blade oscillation/rotation. Therefore it seems that a lower feed during one oscillation/rotation results in a more smooth pattern of the cutting edge.
Wilhelm
F
F
Universitätsaugenklinik Halle.
Giessmann
T
T
Hanschke
R
R
Duncker
G
G
D000818:Animals; D016039:Corneal Transplantation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013552:Swine