Corneal biomechanics in normal Saudi individuals

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomechanical Engineering
• Corneal Science

Background:

• Corneal biomechanical properties are crucial for ocular health assessment.
• Understanding demographic influences on corneal parameters is essential for accurate diagnosis.
• Establishing population-specific norms is vital for interpreting clinical data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between corneal biomechanical metrics and demographic, tomographic, and refractive data in healthy Saudi adults.
• To establish normative values for corneal hysteresis (CH) and corneal resistance factor (CRF) in the Saudi population.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, cross-sectional study involving 215 healthy Saudi adults.
• Corneal hysteresis (CH), corneal resistance factor (CRF), Goldmann-correlated intraocular pressure (IOPg), and corneal-compensated intraocular pressure (IOPcc) were measured using an Ocular Response Analyzer.
• Central keratometry (CK), central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and spherical equivalent of refraction (SER) were also recorded.

Main Results:

• Significant gender differences were observed in CH, CRF, ACD, and CK, with females showing higher CH and CRF.
• CRF demonstrated negative correlation with ACD and positive correlations with SER, CCT, and CH.
• CH showed negative correlation with IOPcc and positive correlations with ACD, SER, CCT, and IOPg.

Conclusions:

• Corneal biomechanical parameters, specifically CH and CRF, exhibit distinct gender differences in Saudi individuals, being higher in females.
• Saudi subjects presented higher CH and CRF values compared to other populations, indicating potential ethnic variations.
• These findings underscore the importance of establishing population-specific normative data for corneal biomechanical parameters.