Citation

Uchio E, Kadonosono K, Matsuoka Y, Goto S. J. Cataract Refract. Surg. 2004; 30(2): 483-490.

Affiliation

Department of Ophthalmology, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/S0886-3350(03)00520-0

PMID

15030846

Abstract

PURPOSE: To determine the physical and mechanical conditions of an impacting air bag that would rupture an eye with a transsclerally fixated posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL). SETTING: Numerical simulation study on a computer. METHODS: Simulations in a model human eye were performed with a computer using the finite element analysis program PAM-CRASH (Nihon ESI). The air bag was set to impact the surface of an eye with a transsclerally fixated posterior chamber IOL at various velocities. The tensile force limit of a 10-1 polypropylene suture was assumed to be 0.16 N, which is specified in the U.S. Pharmacopeia XXII. RESULTS: At the lowest velocity of 20.0 m/s, 10-0 polypropylene sutures were not likely to break. Sutures fixating the IOL might break and a corneoscleral incision was likely to open after 0.3 second at the medium impacting velocity (30 m/s). Suture rupture was very likely at the highest velocity (40 m/s) since the tensile force on the sutures continuously exceeded the breaking force after the impact. CONCLUSIONS: In an eye with a transsclerally fixated posterior chamber IOL, severe ocular trauma can be caused by an air bag at high velocity. Small individuals such as elderly women are at greater risk for air-bag ocular injury. Further research on modifying air-bag design and deployment is important to minimize the risk for ocular injury.