The effect of radial keratotomy on ocular integrity in an animal model
J. K. Luttrull, J. V. Jester and R. E. Smith
The safety of deep corneal incisions in radial keratotomy was evaluated in
a porcine model of blunt trauma. One eye of each enucleated pair (right and
left) of porcine eyes was subjected to a variation of radial keratotomy;
the fellow eyes served as unoperated-on controls. All eyes were subjected
to a standard injury. Control eyes ruptured at the equatorial sclera. Eyes
with radial incisions cut through approximately 70% of corneal thickness
also ruptured at the equator. When incisions of this depth (70%) were
extended across the limbus (rather than to the corneal-scleral junction),
all ruptures occurred at the limbal incisions. Eyes cut 95% to 100% of
corneal thickness tended to rupture at the incisions. The safety of deep
radial keratotomy incisions with respect to ocular integrity is discussed.
