Impact of back optic zone diameter (BOZD) in orthokeratology on axial length elongation: A meta-analysis and systematic review.

Purpose: Myopia has emerged as a significant public health concern. Recent studies have demonstrated that Orthokeratology (Ortho-K) can effectively decelerate axial length (AL) growth, with eyes possessing smaller back optical zone diameters (BOZD) exhibiting greater effectiveness compared to those with larger BOZD. This study aims to analyze the impact of Ortho-K with varying BOZD.

Method: This systematic review involved the retrieval of articles from eight databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, CNKI, Wanfang, Sinomed, and VIP, covering the period from each database's inception to January 2024. It compared axial length (AL) changes between smaller and larger back optic zone diameters (BOZD). Review Manager 5.4 was used to statistical analysis and the results presented as weighted mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CI). This review adheres to the PRISMA guidelines.

Result: This systematic review included two randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and five cohort studies (CS), analyzing a total of 702 eyes (352 eyes are treated with Ortho-K and BOZD ≤ 5.5 mm, 350 eyes are treated with Ortho-K and BOZD ≥ 6.0 mm). The findings indicate that the Ortho-K with smaller BOZD significantly reduces AL growth [WMD = -0.13, 95 %CI (-0.16 to -0.10), P < 0.001].

Conclusion: The Ortho-K with smaller BOZD prove more effective in controlling myopic AL growth compared with larger BOZD. However, in clinical practice, it is necessary to comprehensively evaluating factors such as patient age, myopia diopter, pupil diameter, higher-order aberration, treatment zone area, and corneal eccentricity to achieve optimized outcomes in improving naked-eye vision and myopia controlling.