Orthokeratology lense use does not impact tear film stability and condition of meibomian glands

The key findings of this study were:

1. The experimental and control groups' non-invasive first tear film break-up times (NIBUTf) at the one-year visit were 6.15 ± 2.56 s and 6.18 ± 2.61 s, respectively.

2. In these groups, the lower tear meniscus height was 18.74 0.05 mm and 18.65 0.04 mm, respectively.

3. By applying Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, it was determined that there was no difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of meibomian gland loss or the non-invasive average tear film break-up time.

Throughout the course of the 12-month research, children who wore ortho-k lenses saw no appreciable changes in the quantity or quality of their meibomian glands. The ocular surface was little affected by wearing ortho-k lenses overnight, while the axial development of the eye was controlled. Because overnight ortho-k lens use has no impact on the health of the ocular surface and meibomian gland, it may be regarded as safe. The findings of this study should be strengthened by other long-term prospective investigations.

Reference:

Ruan, J., Zhang, Y., & Chen, Y. (2023). Influence of overnight orthokeratology on tear film and meibomian glands in myopic children: a prospective study. In BMC Ophthalmology (Vol. 23, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12886-023-02883-8