Biomechanical Resilience of the Human Eye Following Intraocular Lens Implantation: a Comparative Computational Study of High-energy Trauma Responses

This study aimed to evaluate the biomechanical response of a physiological eye model and an intraocular lens implanted eye model to two high-energy loading scenarios, namely high-velocity ball impact and rapid deceleration analogous to a motor vehicle accident. Finite element models incorporating the principal anatomical structures of the human eye, including the cornea, ciliary body, iris, crystalline lens, sclera, retina, zonules, and aqueous humour and vitreous bodies, were subjected to a 20 m/s ball impact and a 20 m/s to stop deceleration event using nonlinear hyperelastic material models within Abaqus. During deceleration, strain energy was nearly identical between models (1.4% difference); during ball impact, the physiological model exhibited 41.3% and 23.8% higher strain energy during impaction and unloading, respectively. The cornea, sclera, retina, and zonules were identified as the most severely overloaded structures, frequently exceeding failure stress or strain thresholds in both loading phases. Substantial inertial effects, particularly affecting the retina, were observed during unloading and relaxation. In the specific C-loop hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens configuration modelled here, implantation reduced the eye’s capacity for energy absorption under rapid impact, increasing the risk of localised structural damage, while zonular instability predisposed the lens to dislocation under extreme loading. These findings highlight the need to reconsider haptic design and fixation strategies to enhance ocular biomechanical resilience.