Scleral buckling biomaterials and implants for retinal detachment surgery

Scleral buckling is a widely used surgical procedure that aims at repairing retinal detachments. Many materials and procedural techniques have been variously proposed and tested in an attempt to find the best combination for providing optimal results to the patient. This review highlights the evolution of scleral buckling implants and chronicles the main advances that have been made in such a context. Specifically, the limitations of the materials and implants fallen in disuse, as well as the advantages of currently adopted devices are critically examined and discussed. Future directions for the research are considered, underlining in particular the great potential carried by the development of accurate mathematical models for describing the postoperative evolution of buckled eye. These analytical models, supported by a comprehensive data set provided by advanced techniques of medical investigations, may become useful tools for helping surgeons to choose, and to design if necessary, the best buckling material and configuration to be used in each specific clinical case.