title: Viscoelastic characterization of peripapillary sclera: material properties by quadrant in rabbit and monkey eyes.
abstract: In this report we characterize the viscoelastic material properties of peripapillary sclera from the four quadrants surrounding the optic nerve head in both rabbit and monkey eyes. Scleral tensile specimens harvested from each quadrant were subjected to uniaxial stress relaxation and tensile ramp to failure tests. Linear viscoelastic theory, coupled with a spectral reduced relaxation function, was employed to characterize the viscoelastic properties of the tissues. We detected no differences in the stress-strain curves of specimens from the four quadrants surrounding the optic nerve head (ONH) below a strain of 4 percent in either the rabbit or monkey. While the peripapillary sclera from monkey eyes is significantly stiffer (both instantaneously and in equilibrium) and relaxes more slowly than that from rabbits, we detected no differences in the viscoelastic material properties (tested at strains of 0-1 percent) of sclera from the four quadrants surrounding the ONH within either species group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, Lindy Boggs Center, Suite 500, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA. cdowns@tulane.edu
authors.forename: J Crawford
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Downs
authors.forename: J K Francis
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Suh
authors.forename: Kevin A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Anthony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bellezza
authors.forename: Claude F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Burgoyne
authors.forename: Richard T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Hart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004548:Elasticity; D000882:Haplorhini; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008954:Models, Biological; D009898:Optic Disk; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D011817:Rabbits; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012590:Sclera / Q000502:physiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013045:Species Specificity; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014783:Viscosity