[Biomechanical properties of the anterior lens capsule after manual and femtolaser capsulotomy]. / Biomekhanicheskie pokazateli perednei kapsuly khrustalika posle manual'noi i femtolazernoi kapsulotomii.

PURPOSE: To comparatively evaluate the mechanical stability of the edge of central fragment of anterior lens capsule after manual and femtolaser capsulotomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The mechanical tests were performed on the central fragments of the anterior lens capsules obtained intraoperatively after manual and femtolaser capsulotomy (15 and 13 samples, respectively). The conditions of the developed method of mechanical testing are as close to in vivo as possible. The method allows evaluation of the mechanical response mainly from the edge of the sample, reception of the averaged response from the four edges of the capsule, and almost eliminates the effect of additional edge notches in samples obtained by manual capsulotomy. RESULTS: After manual capsulotomy, the maximum force and elongation of the anterior capsule sample at maximum tensile strength were significantly higher than similar characteristics of the samples after femtolaser capsulotomy. CONCLUSION: The obtained results correspond with the morphological studies of capsule edge structure after manual and femtolaser capsulotomy. The edge of the anterior capsule after femtolaser capsulotomy has form, in rough approximation, close to one of a postage stamp perforation, which is the consequence of micro-irregularities (microfractures) in the areas irradiated by pulsed laser, and wider area of deepithelization compared to the manual technique.

[n.s.i.n.i.V. Biomechanical aspects of anterior capsulotomy in cataract surgery]. / Biomekhanicheskie aspekty perednei kapsulotomii v fakokhirurgii.

This paper reviews studies on biomechanical properties of the anterior lens capsule. Early experiments in this field were more fundamental. Later studies were aimed mainly at assessing the mechanical stability of the capsule edge after manual or femtosecond laser capsulorhexis (capsulotomy) - an important step in modern minimally invasive phaco surgery. For biomechanical tests, ex vivo samples of human and animal anterior capsules were used. The results of the studies presented here are quite heterogeneous, which suggests the necessity of gaining further insight into the issue.