The location- and depth-dependent mechanical response of the human cornea under shear loading

To characterize the depth-dependent shear modulus of the central and peripheral human cornea along the superior-inferior and nasal-temporal directions with a high spatial resolution.

Cylindrical explants from the central and peripheral corneas of 10 human donors were subjected to a 5% shear strain along the superior-inferior and nasal-temporal directions using a microscope-mounted mechanical testing device. Depth-dependent shear strain and shear modulus were computed through force measurements and displacement tracking.

The shear modulus G of the human cornea varied continuously with depth, with a maximum occurring roughly 25% of the way from the anterior surface to the posterior surface. G also varied with direction in the superior region and (at some depths) was significantly higher for superior-inferior shear loading. In the anterior half of the cornea, the shear modulus along the nasal-temporal direction (GNT) did not vary with location; however, the superior region had significantly higher GNT in posterior cornea. In contrast, the shear modulus along the superior-inferior direction (GSI) was independent of location at all depths.

This study demonstrates that the peak shear modulus of the human cornea occurs at a substantial distance within the corneal stroma. Depth-dependent differences between central and peripheral cornea possibly reflect the location-dependent mechanical environment of the cornea. Moreover, the cornea is not a transverse isotropic material, and must be characterized by more than a single shear modulus due to its dependence on loading direction. The material properties measured in this study are critical for developing accurate mechanical models to predict the vision-threatening morphological changes that can occur in the cornea.