Finite Element Analysis of Ring Implantation for Keratoconic Cornea Treatment

Implantation of Intrastromal Corneal Ring Segments (ICRSs) is a surgical method to flatten the anterior corneal surface which is cone shaped in a keratoconic cornea. In this study, a two-dimensional axis-symmetric Finite Element (FE) model has been developed to analyze the performance of ICRS for keratoconic cornea treatment. Ocular parts (cornea, limbus and sclera) are modeled with a combination of hyper-elastic and elastic material properties and triangular geometry for ICRS (named Ferrara). The performance of Ferrara ring implantation for different implant heights and optical zones were studied and compared with available clinical data. It was found that inserting a higher implants with smaller optical zone has more correction effect on keratoconus treatment. Moreover, this model is capable of predicting the implant performance for different extents of keratoconic disease.