amniotic membrane transplantation

the past decade has witnessed the revival of amniotic membrane transplantation (amt) in ophthalmology. the importance of amt is due to its ability to reduce scarring and inflammation and to enhance wound healing and epithelialization, and also its anti-microbial properties. amniotic membrane has recently been used as a substrate for culturing limbal stem cells for transplantation. it has been used extensively in corneal disorders such as neurotrophic ulcers, persistent epithelial defects, shield ulcers, microbial keratitis, band keratopathy, bullous keratopathy, following photorefractive keratectomy, and chemical injury. it has also been used for ocular surface reconstruction in conjunctival pathologies such as following surgery for ocular surface squamous neoplasia, pterygium, and symblepharon. the purpose of this review article is to describe basic structure and features of amniotic membrane, the preparation process it for transplantation, and its clinical applications in ophthalmology.