Correlations between intraocular pressure regulation and the biomechanical behaviors of perilimbal sclera and distal vasculatures

Glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness. Previously, we quantified the deformations in scleral tissue components through a PAM-FEA methodology. This study furthers our examination of perilimbal sclera (PLS) and aqueous veins in intraocular pressure (IOP) regulation using ex vivo porcine eyes. Our results reveal that the cross-sectional area change of the aqueous veins and strain of PLS are strongly and positively correlated with the steady-state IOP (n=8, R2=0.90, R2=0.57, respectively) and the IOP elevation rate at a constantly increasing flow rate (n=8, R2=0.89, R2=0.58, respectively). These findings support our hypothesis that the PLS and aqueous veins with less deformation are correlated with elevated steady state IOP and less adaptive behavior of eyes to increased aqueous outflow.