This retrospective study assessed the relationship between baseline axial length and subsequent elongation for myopes wearing orthokeratology lenses. The results showed axial elongation was slower over two years for younger children with longer baseline axial lengths. This may help in approaches to optimizing myopia control.
A new study has shown that an ‘extra compression factor’ of 1D, which is essentially increasing the treatment target, improved myopia control outcomes for children wearing orthokeratology. This would seem to indicate a different approach is needed for myopia control, but delving into the study reveals the story is not that simple.
This study found that over a 4-yr period, only 2% of children discontinued ortho-k wear, and the reasons were primarily due to adherence to lens wear schedules. This appears to be lower than in soft contact lenses. Encouraging children to continue wear as prescribed throughout the adaptation period, and to maintain compliance, should reduce likelihood of drop-out.
This reanalysis of data from 2 clinical trials evaluated the relative risk of fast axial eye growth in children wearing ortho-k lenses. The results showed that although younger children (6-8 years) experienced faster eye growth than older children (9-12 years), they also benefitted more from ortho-k in slowing their progression when worn for a 2-year period.
This review investigated 18 years of practice data for the predictability, efficacy and safety of long-term ortho-k wear. The results showed that for at least one year’s wear, there was good efficacy and predictability of target refraction. Although corneal staining was common, serious adverse effects were found to be rare, particularly for children.
After 1 month of wearing orthokeratology lenses, children were shown to have reduced accommodative lag and increased blur sensitivity, leading to the suggestion that blur adaptation is conducive in achieving good visual acuities and visual function in ortho-k wear.
This study investigated the accuracy of using pre-treatment axial elongation and changes in refractive sphere in predicting myopia control success in orthokeratology. Axial length was the more accurate method for categorisation of slow, moderate or rapid progression, and fast progressors benefited the most from ortho-k wear.
Atropine 0.01% combined with orthokeratology slows axial elongation to less than 0.1mm/year over two years in Chinese children aged 6-11 years. This is the equal-longest study on this topic and first to measure potential mechanisms of pupil size and choroidal thickness. The largest effect of the combination occurred in the first 6 months.
Estimates on the lifetime cost of myopia management options have shown that although the financial cost is higher in childhood, the cost of staying with traditional non-treatment single vision options is higher over a lifetime.
This meta-analysis investigated the effectiveness of orthokeratology in controlling the progression of anisomyopia (unilateral myopia or bilateral anisomyopia) in Chinese children. Total anisomyopia decreased at 2-year follow up, indicating orthokeratology may be a safe clinical method to slow myopia progression coupled with reducing interocular axial length difference.
