Corneal biomechanics for corneal ectasia: Update

Saudi J Ophthalmol. 2022 Jul 11;36(1):17-24. doi: 10.4103/sjopt.sjopt_192_21. eCollection 2022 Jan-Mar.

Abstract

Knowledge of biomechanical principles has been applied in several clinical conditions, including correcting intraocular pressure measurements, planning and following corneal treatments, and even allowing an enhanced ectasia risk evaluation in refractive procedures. The investigation of corneal biomechanics in keratoconus (KC) and other ectatic diseases takes place in several steps, including screening ectasia susceptibility, the diagnostic confirmation and staging of the disease, and also clinical characterization. More recently, investigators have found that the integration of biomechanical and tomographic data through artificial intelligence algorithms helps to elucidate the etiology of KC and ectatic corneal diseases, which may open the door for individualized or personalized medical treatments in the near future. The aim of this article is to provide an update on corneal biomechanics in the screening, diagnosis, staging, prognosis, and treatment of KC.

Keywords: Corneal biomechanics; corneal ectasia; corneal imaging.