Corneal Biomechanics and Ectatic Disorders
Summary
Corneal biomechanics examines the mechanical characteristics of the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped tissue whose structure and function are governed by a lamellar arrangement of collagen and extracellular matrix. Under normal conditions, intraocular pressure and eyelid forces are balanced by the cornea’s tensile strength and elasticity, ensuring a stable refractive surface. Ectatic disorders encompass a group of progressive conditions—most notably keratoconus and post-refractive surgery ectasia—characterised by localised thinning, weakening of interlamellar cohesion and a cone-like protrusion of the corneal surface. These changes precipitate irregular astigmatism, higher-order optical aberrations and visual loss. Accurate measurement of biomechanical parameters is essential for early detection, risk assessment, personalised refractive surgery planning and interventions such as corneal cross-linking. Advances in non-invasive imaging, dynamic mechanical testing and computational modelling have deepened our understanding of stromal microstructure and its role in ectasia, paving the way for precision medicine approaches and improved global eye-care outcomes.
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Corneal Biomechanics and Ectatic Disorders publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in corneal biomechanics and ectatic disorders across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Corneal biomechanics: Study of the cornea’s mechanical properties, including stiffness, elasticity and response to external forces.
Ectasia: Pathological thinning and deformation of the cornea leading to bulging and visual distortion.
Keratoconus: A progressive ectatic disorder in which the central or paracentral cornea thins and protrudes into a cone shape, causing irregular astigmatism.
Corneal topography: Non-invasive imaging technique that maps the curvature of the corneal surface to detect shape irregularities.
Pachymetry: Measurement of corneal thickness, typically performed by ultrasound or optical coherence tomography.
Viscoelasticity: Property of a material to exhibit both viscous and elastic responses when deformed under stress.
Brillouin light-scattering spectroscopy: Optical method for probing mechanical properties by measuring frequency shifts of light interacting with acoustic phonons in tissue.
References
- Enhancing keratoconus detection with transformer technology and multi-source integration. Artificial Intelligence Review (2024).
- Brillouin Biosensing of Viscoelasticity across Phase Transitions in Ovine Cornea. Biosensors (2024).
- Assessing progression of keratoconus: novel tomographic determinants. Eye and Vision (2016).
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