Ocular rigidity in living human eyes.

PURPOSE To measure the rigidity coefficient of a large number of subjects at clinically encountered intraocular pressures (IOPs) and to examine the possible correlation of ocular rigidity with other factors, such as the age of the patients, ocular parameters (axial length and corneal thickness), and pathologic conditions affecting the eye. METHODS The pressure-volume relationship and the ocular rigidity coefficient (K) were determined in 79 eyes undergoing cataract surgery, by injecting 200 microL of saline solution (in steps of 4.5 microL) through the limbus into the anterior chamber, while continually monitoring the IOP with a transducer, up to the limit of 60 mm Hg. Data within an IOP range of 10 to 35 mm Hg were used to calculate the scleral rigidity coefficient. All measurements were taken at the same time of day, to eliminate any possible diurnal variation. RESULTS The mean ocular rigidity coefficient was 0.0126 mm Hg/microL (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0112-0.0149). A statistically significant positive correlation between the rigidity coefficient and age of the patient was found (P = 0.02), whereas similar findings were not observed for the examined ocular parameters (axial length, P = 0.09; and corneal thickness, P = 0.12). No correlation was found for patients with diabetes mellitus (P = 0.39), age-related macular degeneration (P = 0.55), and hypertension (P = 0.45). CONCLUSIONS The present study provides quantitative data on the ocular rigidity coefficient based on measurements in a large series of living human eyes. A positive correlation between the ocular rigidity coefficient and the patient's age was documented.