RHEOLOGY OF THE VITREOUS BODY .2. VISCOELASTICITY OF BOVINE AND PORCINE VITREOUS

The viscoelastic properties of the vitreous body from bovine and porci ne eyes were determined by microrheometry. Each vitreous sample was se ctioned into anterior, central and posterior segments. The rheological properties of each species and region were compared with each other a nd with the viscoelastic properties of human vitreous reported earlier . The results showed significant variations among species, as well as between regions in all species. All regions of human vitreous have sig nificantly different rheological properties from those of the cow, and from the anterior and posterior regions of the pig; however, the visc oelastic behavior of the central porcine region closely resembles that of the human. In comparing the three species, the major differences f ound are in those parameters characterizing ''viscous'' or dissipative properties; values of ''elastic'' or energy storage properties were s imilar.