Effects of storage time on the mechanical properties of rabbit peripapillary sclera after enucleation

In the field of biomechanics, little research has been performed to evaluate the effect of storage time on the material properties of ocular tissues. Twenty-four rabbit eyes were divided into six groups with storage times from 3 to 72 hr. A tensile specimen was prepared from the inferior quadrant of each sclera and was subjected to a stress relaxation test. The data were analyzed using linear viscoelastic theory yielding four material parameters (E(0), instantaneous elastic modulus; E(infinity), equilibrium elastic modulus; beta, half-width of the Gaussian distribution; tau(m); mean relaxation time). No statistically significant differences were found in the material properties of each group, which suggests that sclera can be stored up to 3 days without risking mechanical deterioration.