Quince Zachery, Westerman Nicola, Alonso-Caneiro David, Read Scott A, Collins Michael J
Contact Lens and Visual Optics Laboratory, Centre for Vision and Eye Research, Optometry and Vision Science, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Queensland, Australia.
School of Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, Australia.
Prog Biomed Eng (Bristol). 2025 May 15;7(3). doi: 10.1088/2516-1091/add4d9.
Optical coherence elastography (OCE) is a non-invasive imaging technique that measures the biomechanical properties of materials and tissues. This systematic review focuses on the applications of OCE in the anterior segment of the eye, including the cornea, iris, and crystalline lens, and its clinical relevance in diagnosing and managing ocular diseases. A systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA framework to identify studies published between 2014 and 2024. The review included studies that reported intrinsic biomechanical properties of anterior segment tissues measured using OCE. Databases searched included Scopus, Pub Med, and IEEE Xplore. Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. The review found that OCE has been used to measure intrinsic biomechanical parameters such as Young's modulus and shear modulus in ocular tissues. OCE has been utilised to assess corneal stiffness in keratoconus, lens elasticity in presbyopia and cataract formation, and iris biomechanical changes under different lighting conditions. The studies demonstrated that OCE could detect subtle biomechanical changes associated with ocular diseases and measure treatment efficacy, such as collagen crosslinking for keratoconus management. The findings highlight the potential of OCE to enhance clinical diagnostics and patient care by providing detailed insights into the biomechanical properties of ocular tissues. However, variability in measurement techniques, the complexity of the method and reliance on animal models limit the current clinical translation of OCE. Standardised measurement protocols and further development andvalidation are needed to overcome these barriers. OCE shows promise as a valuable non-invasive tool for high-resolution assessments of tissue biomechanics, which can subsequently support the diagnosis and management of ocular diseases. Future research should focus on standardising OCE methods and integrating them into clinical practice to fully realise their potential in improving patient outcomes.
光学相干弹性成像（OCE）是一种测量材料和组织生物力学特性的非侵入性成像技术。本系统综述聚焦于OCE在眼前节（包括角膜、虹膜和晶状体）的应用及其在眼部疾病诊断和管理中的临床相关性。使用PRISMA框架进行了系统的文献综述，以识别2014年至2024年发表的研究。该综述纳入了报告使用OCE测量眼前节组织固有生物力学特性的研究。检索的数据库包括Scopus、PubMed和IEEE Xplore。25项研究符合纳入标准。该综述发现，OCE已被用于测量眼部组织中的固有生物力学参数，如杨氏模量和剪切模量。OCE已被用于评估圆锥角膜的角膜硬度、老花眼和白内障形成中的晶状体弹性，以及不同光照条件下虹膜的生物力学变化。这些研究表明，OCE可以检测与眼部疾病相关的细微生物力学变化，并测量治疗效果，如用于圆锥角膜管理的胶原交联。研究结果突出了OCE通过提供对眼部组织生物力学特性的详细见解来增强临床诊断和患者护理的潜力。然而，测量技术的变异性、方法的复杂性以及对动物模型的依赖限制了OCE目前的临床转化。需要标准化的测量方案以及进一步的开发和验证来克服这些障碍。OCE有望成为一种用于组织生物力学高分辨率评估的有价值的非侵入性工具，随后可支持眼部疾病的诊断和管理。未来的研究应专注于标准化OCE方法并将其整合到临床实践中，以充分实现其在改善患者预后方面的潜力。
