Peripheral refraction, relative peripheral refraction, and axial growth: 18-month data from the randomised study-Clinical study Of Near-sightedness; TReatment with Orthokeratology Lenses (CONTROL study).

Purpose: To investigate changes in peripheral and relative peripheral refraction (RPR) during orthokeratology lens (OKL) use in children, and predictors for myopia progression in a randomized controlled trial.
Methods: Refraction and axial length (AL) were measured at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months for children aged 6-12 years, with myopia of 0.5 to 4.75 dioptres (D) spherical component randomized to either OKL or single-vision spectacles (SVS) at baseline. Cycloplegic spherical equivalent refractive error (SEQ) was measured on-axis and eccentric at 10°, 20°, and 30° during nasal and temporal gaze in the horizontal plane with Shin-Nippon Nvision-K 5001. RPR was computed as SEQ _{(eccentricity)} minus SEQ _{(on axis)} . AL was measured with Lenstar LS900.
Results: Twenty-one and 28 subjects from the OKL and SVS groups, respectively were available for analysis. OKL wear induced significant myopic RPR at all eccentricities (p ≤ 0.004) whereas peripheral refraction only changed in two out of six eccentric measuring points. Baseline peripheral refraction SEQ at all eccentricities, baseline on-axis SEQ, and baseline RPR at 30° nasal eccentricity were positively correlated to treatment efficacy defined as change in AL.
Conclusion: We found no correlations between change in RPR and treatment efficacy defined as change in AL. Interestingly, our results suggest that the central emmetropisation that occurs during OKL-use accounts for most of the optical changes and to a lesser extent the mid-peripheral plus-zone of the lens.
(© 2022 The Authors. Acta Ophthalmologica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica Foundation.)