Orthokeratology & Children

John Davidson has been prescribing these lenses since 2003. He says that "Discussing the visual liberation experienced by our patients that use Orthokeratology lenses is a gratifying experience for me. For the parents of short sighted children, the ability to positively influence the eyesight of their children is extremely important to them.

Scientific paper abstract: Results from LORIC Study

Researchers conducted a two-year pilot study (The Longitudinal Orthokeratology Research in Children [LORIC]) to determine whether ortho-k can effectively reduce and control myopia in children. They monitored the growth of axial length (AL) and vitreous chamber depth (VCD) in 35 children aged seven to 12 undergoing ortho-k and compared the rates of change with 35 control children wearing single-vision spectacles. The researchers also determined the changes in corneal curvature and the relationships with changes of refractive errors, AL and VCD for the ortho-k subjects.  All of the ortho-k subjects found post-orthokeratology unaided vision acceptable in the daytime. They found significant initial corneal flattening in the ortho-k group, but no significant relationships between changes in corneal power and changes in AL and VCD. The researchers concluded that ortho-k can have both a corrective and a control effect in childhood myopia, but substantial variations exist in changes in eye length among children and there is no way to predict the effect for individual subjects.

Paper Full Reference

Cho P, Cheung SW, Edwards M. The Longitudinal Orthokeratology Research in Children (LORIC) in Hong Kong: A Pilot Study on Refractive Changes in Myopic Control. Current Eye Research 30:71-80, 2005.
To view the Paper

Editor's Commentary from the website contact lenses spectrum:

(Published April 3rd 2005)
Ortho-K and Myopia Progression
This week, our abstract discusses a rigorous study of overnight orthokeratology and myopia progression. Before you start telling all of your patients that ortho-k can halt the progression of myopia, keep this in mind: Even if it does decrease the progression of myopia, as with other treatments such as progressive addition spectacle lenses and GP lenses for daily wear, the treatment effect is not large. Jeff Walline, O.D., Ph.D., author of the CLAMP Study and experienced myopia and corneal reshaping in kids investigator comments:The results from the LORIC Study are important and intriguing. This is the first evidence from a controlled study that indicates the potential for myopia control with corneal reshaping contact lenses. The treatment effect over two years is also greater than the treatment effect reported by recently completed, randomized clinical trials investigating myopia control with bifocal spectacles and alignment fitted GP contact lenses. However, caution should still be applied when telling patients about the potential for myopia control benefits with corneal reshaping contact lenses until the results are verified by an independent investigation and more information is available regarding which specific children will benefit from corneal reshaping myopia control