1/16/2021

Covers the posterior 5/6th of eye

White, rigid, dense connective tissue

SCLERA Outermost covered by Tenon’s capsule and conjunctiva

Episclera + episcleral space (vascular)
Stroma
STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
Lamina Fusca (pigmented)

Episclera Stroma
Collagen type I + ground substances
Loose connective tissue Dense bundles of fibres crossing each other in all
Connect sclera to Tenons by fibrous bands direction -makes the sclera opaque
Vascular Scattered fibroblasts
Thickest anterior to rectus muscle insertion Few melanocytes and pigmented macrophages in deeper
layers
Relatively avascular

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Lamina fusca Scleral Openings

Anterior foramen - 11.7mm
Blends with suprachoroid
Internal (TM) and External sulci (conjunctiva)
Potential space
Posterior foramen - 1.5-2mm (internal)
Has elastin
3-3.5mm (external)
Pigment due to melanocytes
Emmissaria - anterior, middle, posterior

Special Regions
Scleral sulcus:
It is an groove on the inner surface of the anterior most
point of the sclera near the limbus.
Sclera spur
It is a circular flang of the anterior most part of the sclera
which lie deep to schlemm’s canal.
It appears wedge-shaped in section.

Scleral Thickness

Relatively thin at birth - upto 3 years distensible

Thickest near optic nerve 1-1.3mm
Limbus 0.8mm
Thinnest - before rectus muscle insertion

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Functions
Lamina Cribrosa
Protection
Sieve like structure
Contain IOP
Collagen and elastin fibers
Resists deformation with muscle contraction
Least stiff area
Drug delivery
Aggressive wound healing

1. Continuous non-fenestrated endothelium

Immune disease and Sclera No tight junctions
Leaky, without bulk flow
1. Anterior segment arterioles have no smooth muscle -
turbulent flow in increased tortuosity
2. Artery-artery anastomosis - oscillatory blood flow in region
of rectus muscle
Favour stagnation and immune complex deposition

Thank You!