Corneal biomechanical properties and their correlates with refractive error.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to study the link between refractive error and corneal biomechanical properties.


METHODS
Corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor were measured using the Ocular Response Analyser in 117 participants. The spherical equivalent refractive error of the participants ranged between -9.00 and +3.00 D.


RESULTS
Corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor showed a considerable degree of variability between individuals. Corneal hysteresis was not found to correlate significantly with refractive error (p = 0.82). Corneal resistance factor showed a weak but significant correlation with spherical equivalent refractive error (r(2) = 0.04; p = 0.03), with myopic participants exhibiting a higher corneal resistance factor compared with non-myopes.


CONCLUSIONS
Refractive error accounted for four per cent of the variance in corneal resistance factor measurements, indicating that patients with mild to moderate myopia have higher corneal resistance compared with non-myopes.
Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom. Hema.Radhakrishnan@manchester.ac.uk
Hema
H
Radhakrishnan
Marco A
MA
Miranda
Clare
C
O'Donnell
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003315:Cornea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology*; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult