Influence of overnight orthokeratology on axial elongation in childhood myopia.

PURPOSE This prospective study was conducted to assess the influence of overnight orthokeratology (OK) on axial elongation in children, with those wearing spectacles as controls. METHODS One hundred five subjects (210 eyes) were enrolled in the study. The OK group comprised 45 patients (90 eyes, age 12.1 ± 2.5 years, mean ± SD; OK group) who matched the inclusion criteria for OK. The control group comprised 60 patients (120 eyes, 11.9 ± 2.0 years) who also matched the inclusion criteria for OK but preferred spectacles for myopia correction. Axial length was measured at baseline and after 2 years using ocular biometry, and the changes were evaluated and compared between the groups. RESULTS Ninety-two subjects (42 and 50 in the OK and control groups, respectively) completed the 2-year follow-up examinations. At baseline, the spherical equivalent refractive error was -2.55 ± 1.82 and -2.59 ± 1.66 D, and the axial length was 24.66 ± 1.11 and 24.79 ± 0.80 mm in the OK and control groups, respectively, with no significant differences between the groups. The increase in axial length during the 2-year study period was 0.39 ± 0.27 and 0.61 ± 0.24 mm, respectively, and the difference was significant (P < 0.0001, unpaired t-test). CONCLUSIONS OK suppressed axial elongation in myopic children, suggesting that this treatment can slow the progression of myopia to a certain extent.