Corneal collagen cross-linking has become the preferred modality of treatment for corneal ectasia since its inception in late 1990s. Numerous studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of the conventional protocol. Our understanding of the cross-linking process is ever evolving, with its wide implications in the form of accelerated and pulsed protocols. Newer advancements in technology i...

BACKGROUND Since the late 1990s corneal crosslinking (CXL) has been proposed as a new treatment option which can stop progression of keratoconus with promising results in adults. OBJECTIVE Keratoconus presents a higher rate and faster progression in paediatric patients and for this reason prompt and effective treatment is essential. Due to its success in adult keratoconus patients, CXL has be...

The aim of the present study was to compare the biodegradation of differently cross-linked collagen membranes in rats. Five commercially available and three experimental membranes (VN) were included: (1) BioGide (BG) (non-cross-linked porcine type I and III collagens), (2) BioMend (BM), (3) BioMendExtend (BME) (glutaraldehyde cross-linked bovine type I collagen), (4) Ossix (OS) (enzymatic-cross...

We compared the effects of zero-length cross-linkers 1-ethyl-3 (3dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) and non-zero-length cross-linkers glycolaldehyde and glyceraldehyde on the optical and structural properties of three-dimensional (3D) collagen hydrogels. We evaluated these effects by multiphoton microscopy (MPM) that combined two-photon fluorescence (TPF) and second harmonic generation (SH...

Keratoconus, a degenerative disorder of the cornea, causes significant visual distortion and photophobia. Diagnosed in early life, it has a considerable influence on the patient’s daily activities and visual needs. A study of the rural population in Central India gave a prevalence of 2.3% +/0.2% among those aged 30 years and above.[1] The conventional treatment of keratoconus has been the fitti...

Fibronectin is a large glycoprotein which is found in body fluids and media of cultured cells. Insoluble fibronectin is found in tissue stroma and in collagen-containing extracellular matrices of cultured cells. Fibronectin is a substrate for Factor XIIIa (plasma transglutaminase) and can be cross-linked by this enzyme to types I and 111 collagen (Mosher, D. F., Schad, P. E., and Kleinman, H. K...

Keratoconus is a condition characterized by biomechanical instability of the cornea, presenting in a progressive, asymmetric and bilateral way. Corneal collagen cross-linking with riboflavin and UVA (CXL) is a new technique of corneal tissue strengthening that combines the use of riboflavin as a photo sensitizer and UVA irradiation. The studies showed that CXL was effective in halting the progr...

The aim was to review the published literature on corneal collagen cross-linking. The emphasis was on the seminal publications, systemic reviews, meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials. Where such an evidence did not exist, selective large series cohort studies, case controlled studies and case series with follow-up preferably greater than 12 months were included. Riboflavin/Ultraviolet...

Articular cartilage does not integrate due primarily to a scarcity of cross-links and viable cells at the interface. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that lysyl-oxidase, a metalloenzyme that forms collagen cross-links, would be effective in improving integration between native-to-native, as well as tissue engineered-to-native cartilage surfaces. To examine these hypotheses...