title: Lamina cribrosa thickness correlated with posterior scleral thickness and axial length in monkeys.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore associations of lamina cribrosa thickness with axial length and thickness of the posterior sclera in monkeys.
  
  
  METHODS
  Examining histological sections by light microscopy, we measured the thickness of the lamina cribrosa and posterior sclera and axial length.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 28 animals (28 eyes) with a mean age of 13.3 ± 4.9 years (range: 3-24 years) and mean axial length of 18.9 ± 1.4 mm (range: 17-21 mm) (22 eyes after experimental temporary central retinal artery occlusion; four eyes after a permanent occlusion of the posterior ciliary artery; and two eyes without any intervention). Mean thickness of the lamina cribrosa was 167 ± 30 μm (range: 115-273 μm). Thinner lamina cribrosa thickness was significantly associated with longer axial length (standardized correlation coefficient beta: -0.42; p = 0.026), with thinner sclera at the posterior pole (beta: 0.56; p = 0.002) and with thinner sclera at the disc border (beta: 0.55; p = 0.002). Lamina cribrosa thickness was not significantly related to temporary central retinal artery occlusion (p = 0.14) or to permanent posterior ciliary artery occlusion (p = 0.49) or age (p = 0.46).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As in humans, lamina cribrosa thickness in non-glaucomatous monkeys got thinner with longer axial length and with thinner posterior sclera. These data may be of interest for studies on the process of emmetropization/myopization in monkeys, and they may be of interest for the studies on the biomechanics of the optic nerve head.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Jost B
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2972-5227
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Jan N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Kutscher
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
authors.forename: Songhomitra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panda-Jonas
authors.affiliation: Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
authors.forename: Sohan S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hayreh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001157:Arterial Occlusive Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D058452:Axial Length, Eye / Q000473:pathology*; D019842:Ciliary Arteries / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D008297:Male; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology*; D009929:Organ Size; D057972:Posterior Eye Segment; D015356:Retinal Artery Occlusion / Q000473:pathology*; D012590:Sclera / Q000473:pathology*; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular
keywords: axial length; emmetropization; lamina cribrosa; myopia; myopization; sclera