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Biomechanical property analysis after corneal collagen cross-linking in relation to ultraviolet A irradiation time

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Abstract

Purpose

To study the biomechanical effect of riboflavin-ultraviolet A irradiation (UVA)-induced collagen cross-linking (CXL) in porcine corneas using two different exposure times of 30 and 60 min.

Methods

Seventeen enucleated porcine eyes were divided into three groups: group A, six eyes without any treatment, group B, six eyes treated by UVA CXL for 30 min, and group C, five eyes treated by UVA CXL for 60 min. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) was used as a photosensitizer in both groups of treatment. Then, the stress-strain behavior of all the specimens was measured to compare the corneal biomechanical properties among the three groups. The Young’s modulus E of the mean curve of each group shows the stiffness of treated and untreated tissue. The stress data necessary for stretches of 6, 8, and 12% were used to perform the statistical analysis of the values.

Results

Group B (riboflavin-UVA-CXL, 30 min, E = 46 MPa) showed a stiffer behavior than group A (control, E = 29 MPa) . Group C (60 min CXL, E = 28 MPa) showed lower stiffness than group B and a similar mechanical behavior than group A. The statistical analysis of the stress–strain curves showed significant differences in the corneal response between group B and the control at the three values of stretch considered, 6, 8, and 12% (p = 0.025, p = 0.025 and p = 0.037, respectively) and between group B and group C (p = 0.028, p = 0.028, and p = 0.028). No statistically significant difference was found between group C and control (p = 0.855, p = 0.715, and p = 0.584).

Conclusions

The application of 30-min UVA CXL treatment with riboflavin increased stiffness of the porcine corneal tissue. A 60-min UVA-radiated tissue presents lower stiffness than the 30-min treated tissue, showing a similar biomechanical behavior than the untreated corneas. A prolongation of the UVA irradiation time may cause structural weakening of the porcine corneas.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) through the CIBER initiative. Platform for Biological Tissue Characterization of the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN) and the research support of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science through the research project DPI2008-02335.

Financial Disclosure

The authors have no financial interest in this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Group of Structural Mechanics and Materials Modelling (GEMM), Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Zaragoza, María de Luna 3, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain

    Elena Lanchares & Begoña Calvo

  2. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Aragon Health Sciences Institute, Zaragoza, Spain

    Elena Lanchares & Begoña Calvo

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, University Clinic Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain

    María Angeles del Buey, José Angel Cristóbal & Laura Lavilla

Authors
  1. Elena Lanchares
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  2. María Angeles del Buey
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  3. José Angel Cristóbal
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  4. Laura Lavilla
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  5. Begoña Calvo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Elena Lanchares.

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Grant

Spanish Ministry of Education and Science through the research project DPI2008-02335.

The authors have full control of all primary data and agree to allow Graefe’s Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology to review data upon request.

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Lanchares, E., del Buey, M.A., Cristóbal, J.A. et al. Biomechanical property analysis after corneal collagen cross-linking in relation to ultraviolet A irradiation time. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 249, 1223–1227 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-011-1674-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00417-011-1674-0

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