Determining Heterogeneity in the Scleral Shell Using an Inverse Mechanics Approach

One of the important events leading to loss of vision in primary open-angle glaucoma — the 2 ^nd leading cause of blindness in the US [1] — is the death of retinal ganglion cells. Previous research has established a strong correlation between elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) and the incidence of glaucoma [2]. Stiffening of ocular tissues (like sclera) and axonal damage in the optic nerve head (ONH) were found to occur in response to elevated IOPs [3, 4]. As such, the biomechanical environment in and around the ONH, which is surrounded by the sclera and through which the visual information exits the eye, could be important in the incidence of this disease. Additionally, race and ethnicity factors were found to affect the incidence of glaucoma [5].