Determining the Relationship Between Corneal Stiffening and Tissue Dehydration After Corneal Cross-Linking.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To quantify corneal cross-linking (CXL)-induced stiffening via mechanical testing to estimate the impact of changes in hydration levels (H) and evaluate depth-dependent tissue hydration after CXL.

Methods

Eighty-three porcine corneal buttons were divided into three groups: Standard protocol CXL (S-CXL), accelerated CXL (A-CXL), and untreated (nonirradiated riboflavin-only) controls. Samples were hydrated or dehydrated to modulate H and dynamic mechanical analyzer compression tests were performed to measure Young's modulus (E). To extract the solid tissue network modulus, the cornea was modeled as a biphasic material after measuring E at different H. Corneal hydration was correlated with depth-dependent tissue thickness characterized by confocal reflection microscopy

SUBMITTER: Rodriguez-Lopez R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11549923 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature