Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40913331›Full record

ReviewOphthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists)2025

Regional corneal biomechanics assessment as a function of age using Strain-Stress Index maps.

Vahoura Tahsini, Marta Jiménez-García, Ahmed Makarem, Ahmed Elsheikh, Philippe Büchler, Sabine Kling, Jos J Rozema

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Analysis of astigmatism type influence onFrontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2026
    Article
  4. Regional corneal biomechanics assessment as a function of age using Strain-Stress Index maps.Ophthalmic & physiological optics : the journal of the British College of Ophthalmic Opticians (Optometrists) · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Vahoura TahsiniARTORG Centre for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0502-3087
Marta Jiménez-GarcíaGIMSO, Institute for Health Research Aragón, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Zaragoza, Spain.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2839-9696
Ahmed MakaremSchool of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Ahmed ElsheikhSchool of Engineering, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Philippe BüchlerARTORG Centre for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Sabine KlingARTORG Centre for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Jos J RozemaVOLANTIS, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8124-8646

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo gain a better understanding of corneal Stress-Strain Index (SSI) maps in healthy eyes and to determine their changes with age.

methodThe eyes of 72 participants (age 43.1 ± 20.9 years, 69.5% female) were included in the analysis, considering the left and right eyes separately. Corneal biomechanics were assessed using a combination of the Pentacam and Corvis instruments, whose data enabled the production of the SSI maps. The corneas were divided into nine zones to facilitate zone-specific analysis of biomechanical behaviour. Regression analyses were conducted to evaluate the relationship between age and SSI values in each corneal zone.

resultsThe mean overall SSI value of the cornea for all participants was 1.075. Considering different age groups, significant differences in SSI were seen between the young and older groups in the overall map from 0.938 ± 0.067 in 20-50-year-olds to 1.143 ± 0.064 in 50-80-year-olds (ANOVA, p < 0.001). The same effect was seen for each zone separately (ANOVA, p < 0.001). The corneal central apex and peripheral zones showed higher mean SSI values (1.153 ± 0.079) and hence, higher corneal stiffness compared with paracentral zones (0.890 ± 0.057).

conclusionThis paper showcases a series of maps depicting corneal elasticity and explores the differences in corneal stiffening with age across various regions of healthy corneas. The results reveal that stiffening tends to accelerate in areas that are already stiffer and decelerate in weaker regions. This deeper insight into ocular physiology could enhance clinical care by enabling more personalised treatments based on the patient's age and the specific corneal regions being addressed.

Indexed as

AgingCorneaElasticityAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBiomechanical PhenomenaCorneal TopographyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedStress, MechanicalYoung Adultcorneacorneal biomechanicsstress–strain index

Identifiers

PMID40913331
PMCPMC12682090

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.