Corneal biomechanical properties and their correlates with refractive error

Abstract

Purpose:  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 (r²= 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.

Key words:

• corneal biomechanics
• corneal hysteresis
• corneal resistance factor
• intraocular pressure
• myopia
• Ocular Response Analyser

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We thank Grafton Optical, Birmingham, UK for lending us the Ocular Response Analyser for the duration of the study. None of the authors has a financial interest in the instrument mentioned in the manuscript.