[Can the lifting of heavy weights provoke a spasm of ciliary muscles conducive in turn to retinal detachment?].

It was reported by Harms (discussion remark 62, DOG Heidelberg 1959, p. 234) that, during the lifting of a heavy weight, excessive accommodation occurs. If this is the case, the causing ciliary spasm could possibly be regarded as a predisposing factor in the pathogenesis of a retinal detachment. To obtain objective data whether there is an accommodative spasm under the above mentioned condition, the thickness of the lens of emmetropic young persons was measured by ultrasound. Three series of measurement were performed: (1) during accommodation; (2) during the lifting of a 25-kg-heavy weight without excluding the possibility of focusing nearer objects at the same time, and (3) during lifting of the same weight with the exclusion of any possibility of focusing nearer objects at the same time. According to the results of these experiments, there is only very little likelihood that the lifting of heavy weights could provoke a considerable ciliary spasm.