Clinical Investigation of Short-Term Axial Elongation Control After Orthokeratology Lens Correction: Exploring Its Predictive Role in Long-Term Therapeutic Efficacy.

OBJECTIVE

This study was developed with the goal of exploring the efficacy of orthokeratology (OK) as an approach to controlling axial length (AL) growth and identifying factors predictive of the long-term efficacy of this approach.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study that enrolled 157 myopic children 7 to 15 years of age undergoing OK correction for over 3 years. The short- and long-term effectiveness of this approach at 1 and 3 years post-OK correction, respectively, was assessed. All participants were classified into two groups based on whether they exhibited good or poor long-term efficacy outcomes. Measurements of changes in AL were made at baseline and at 1 and 3 years post-OK. Univariate analyses and binary logistic regression approaches were used to evaluate baseline age, baseline spherical equivalent refraction, baseline keratometry (K) values of flat and steep meridians, and short-term effectiveness with the goal of identifying predictors of long-term efficacy.

RESULTS

Univariate analyses led to the identification of significant differences in baseline age, baseline spherical equivalent refraction, baseline AL, and short-term efficacy between these two groups ( P <0.05), whereas gender, baseline flat K, and baseline steep K did not differ significantly ( P >0.05). In binary logistic regression analyses, baseline AL ( P =0.017) and short-term efficacy ( P <0.001) were both found to significantly influence long-term efficacy. Receiver operating characteristic curves demonstrated that short-term efficacy offered an area under the curve value >0.8, consistent with its highly accurate performance as a predictor of long-term efficacy.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that short-term efficacy outcomes can feasibly be used to predict the long-term effectiveness of OK correction in children. In patients exhibiting poor short-term efficacy, timely replacement or the incorporation of additional treatment modalities may aid efforts to better control the progression of myopia.