Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Although elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is the main risk factor for the development of the disease, its role remains unclear. Several studies have explored the hypothesis that an IOP-induced altered biomechanical environment within the optic nerve head (ONH), and the lamina cribrosa in particular, may contribute to disruption of the retinal ganglion cell axons, and the subsequent loss of vision associated with glaucoma [1-3]. Identifying the normal ONH biomechanical environment, however, has proven challenging.
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