Rotational stability of a new hydrophobic acrylic intraocular lens platform.

PURPOSE: To evaluate rotational stability in terms of ease of rotation of a new intraocular lens (IOL) platform with 4 haptics in an ex vivo model, and compare it with a control single-piece lens with 2 open loops.

SETTING: Intermountain Ocular Research Center, John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.

DESIGN: Experimental Study.

METHODS: 10 human cadaver eyes were prepared as per the Miyake-Apple technique. After injection of test or control lens, clockwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CCW) rotations were attempted with a hook, with and without ophthalmic viscosurgical device in place. Ease of rotation was scored as (1) very easy, (2) easy, (3) difficult, and (4) very difficult. Rotation of the entire eye containing test or control IOL was also carried out with a multi-purpose rotator (2 minutes;220 revolutions per minute) to evaluate its effect on IOL alignment.

RESULTS: There were statistically significant differences regarding ease of rotation between test and control lenses in all four scenarios, with rotation being more difficult with the test lens (P < .05, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). No change in the alignment of test or control lenses was observed after eye rotation with the multi-purpose rotator.

CONCLUSION: The new IOL platform showed greater rotational stability than the control lens in this model, owing to design features such as four small arcs of contact between the haptics and the bag equator, a bulge at the distal end of each haptic, and arcuate haptics with curvatures oriented toward each other.