A modified 3D stereophotogrammetry-based distraction test for assessing lower eyelid tension

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Oculoplastics
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Assessing lower eyelid tension (LET) is crucial for diagnosing and managing various oculoplastic conditions.
• Existing methods for LET assessment may have limitations in reliability and precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability of a modified three-dimensional distraction test (3D-DT) and a three-dimensional pinch test (3D-PT) for measuring lower eyelid tension (LET).

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 97 volunteers with healthy eyelids.
• Acquisition of six 3D photographs per participant: neutral position (NP), modified 3D-DT with an eyelid hook, and 3D-PT.
• Analysis of measurement differences, technical error, relative error, and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) for intra-rater, inter-rater, and intra-method reliability.

Main Results:

• The modified 3D-DT demonstrated high intra-rater and inter-rater reliability (ICCs > 0.80) for most measurements.
• The 3D-PT showed significantly lower reliability (ICCs < 0.30) in several assessments.
• Intra-method reliability was high for NP and 3D-DT measurements.

Conclusions:

• The modified 3D-DT using an eyelid hook is a highly reliable method for evaluating lower eyelid tension (LET).
• This novel and straightforward method is suitable for routine pre- and postoperative clinical evaluation and further research.