Factors Influencing Ortho-K Treatment in Low Myopia and Management Approaches

This study aimed to identify the key demographic, biometric, and behavioral factors that impact the treatment effect of Ortho-K in low myopia and to discover the management ideas for low myopes undergoing Ortho-K treatment.

A 12-month retrospective study examined 380 individuals who received Ortho-K treatment. Stratification and multinomial logistic regression were conducted to identify biometric features and behavioral indicators associated with Ortho-K treatment outcomes in low myopes.

The 12-month axial length growth was significantly longer in the low myopia group than in the moderate myopia group ( P <0.0001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that Ortho-K only was 2.23 times more likely to have rapid axial growth than Ortho-K combined with 0.01% atropine in patients with low myopia ( P =0.01; odds ratio [OR]=2.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-4.20). Multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that in patients with low myopia, female sex ( P <0.0001; OR=0.4; 95% CI, 0.22-0.72), young age ( P =0.01; OR=0.79; 95% CI, 0.66-0.93), flatter K mean ( P =0.004; OR=0.74; 95% CI, 0.61-0.91), and having two myopic parents ( P =0.03; OR=0.18; 95% CI, 0.05-0.71) were associated with worse treatment outcomes. A diet rich in white meats, such as fish and duck ( P =0.01; OR=0.06; 95% CI, 0.01-0.54), was protective behavioral factors associated with slower axial length growth in children with low myopia.

Patients with low myopia who exhibit one or more of the demographic and biometric risk factors (young age, female, flat mean K, and two myopic parents) require heightened attention in clinic settings because of their increased risk of myopia progression. Ortho-K combined with 0.01% atropine may achieve better efficacy than Ortho-K only in low myopes. A diet rich in white meat is protective and controlled behavioral factors for these patients.