The effects of hydroxyapatite implantation with the autogenous sclera cap: A cohort study

We performed a novel hydroxyapatite (HA) prosthesis implantation method in which an HA implant was implanted into the scleral shell with an autogenous scleral cap. Twenty-six patients who had undergone the novel HA prosthesis implantation method and 32 patients who had undergone traditional HA prosthesis implantation were retrospectively reviewed. The postoperative activity of the artificial eye was measured by the Hirschberg test combined with arc perimetry. The visual analog score (VAS) was used to evaluate 2-month postoperative pain and 2-month postoperative discomfort. HA implant vascularization was measured with enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 2 and 6 months after the operation. The enhancement volume (V(E)) and the volume of the HA implant (V(HA)) were measured. All cases were followed up for 2 years. Measurement data were processed using SAS 6.12. There was a statistically significant difference (P = .016) between the percentages of excellent grade in the two groups. Two months after implantation, the median pain scores of the study and control groups were 2 and 2.5, respectively, and there was a statistically significant difference (W = 585.0, P = .004); there was a statistically significant difference (W = 535.5, P = .000) between the median discomfort scores of the study group (score = 1) and control group (score = 2); the mean VE/VHA values of the study and control groups were 0.3075 and 0.1535, respectively, and there was a statistically significant difference (t = −8.196, P = .000). Six months after implantation, the V(E)/V(HA) values of the study and control groups were 0.9686 and 0.5934, respectively, and there was a statistically significant difference (W = 549.0, P = .000). Within 2 years of postoperative follow-up, there were no serious complications in the study group. In the study group, in which the hydroxyapatite implant was implanted into a preserved scleral shell with unaltered muscles and covered with an autogenous scleral cap, postoperative activity and the fibrovascularization of the HA implant were significantly increased, and postoperative pain and discomfort were significantly reduced.