Posterior corneal surface toricity and total corneal astigmatism.

The influence of posterior corneal surface toricity upon total corneal astigmatism was investigated in 60 young subjects (mean age 22.04 +/- 3.24 years). Both surfaces were found to be flatter horizontally than vertically. Astigmatism arising from the anterior corneal surface was therefore reduced by astigmatism of the opposite sign arising from the posterior surface. Had the toricity of the posterior corneal surface been purely governed by that of the anterior surface this reduction would have amounted to about 5%. However, the posterior surface was found to exhibit additional toricity bringing about a greater reduction of total corneal astigmatism amounting to approximately 14%.