THE EFFECT OF AGE ON THE RETARDATION OF AXIAL ELONGATION FOLLOWING A LENSECTOMY IN INFANT MONKEYS

Objective: To determine the effect of age on the retardation of axial elongation in neonatal monkey eyes following the extraction of the cry stalline lens. Methods: A monocular lensectomy was performed on 4 rhes us monkeys when they were 4 days, 2 weeks, 7.5 months, and 1 year of a ge. Longitudinal measurements of axial lengths and keratometry reading s were made. Results: The aphakic eye was 1.7 mm shorter than the unma nipulated fellow eye in the monkey undergoing surgery at 4 days of age and 1.1 mm shorter in the monkey undergoing surgery at 2 weeks of age . However, the aphakic eyes were only 0.2 mm and 0.1 mm shorter than t heir unmanipulated fellow eyes, respectively, in the monkeys undergoin g surgery at 7.5 months and 1 year of age. Conclusions: The retardatio n of axial elongation following a lensectomy in infantile monkey eyes is age dependent, little effect is observed in monkeys aged 7.5 months or older.