Keratoconus: a biomechanical perspective on loss of corneal stiffness

Keratoconus (KC) is progressive disease of corneal thinning, steepening and collagen degradation. Biomechanics of the cornea is maintained by the intricate collagen network, which is responsible for its unique shape and function. With the disruption of this collagen network, the cornea loses its shape and function, resulting in progressive visual degradation. While KC is essentially a stromal disease, there is evidence that the epithelium undergoes significant thinning similar to the stroma. Several topographical approaches have been developed to detect KC early. However, it is now hypothesized that biomechanical destabilization of the cornea may precede topographic evidence of KC. Biomechanics of KC has been investigated only to a limited extent due to lack of in vivo measurement techniques and/or devices. In this review, we focus on recent work performed to characterize the biomechanical characteristics of KC.