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Mathematical Models of Vitreous Humour Dynamics and Retinal Detachment

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Ocular Fluid Dynamics

Abstract

The vitreous humour is a gel-like substance, which fills the vitreous chamber at the posterior part of the eye. It is a clear transparent material that can be mechanically characterised as a visco-elastic fluid. The vitreous has the important role of holding the retina in contact with the retinal pigment epithelium. During vitreous motion vitreoretinal tractions are generated and this might potentially lead to retinal detachment (RD). Studying the vitreous mechanical behaviour is thus relevant for understanding the physiology and pathophysiology of the eye.

Mathematical modelling has provided significant contributions into understanding vitreous dynamics and the role it has on the occurence of vitreoretinal pathologies. In this chapter we first discuss works addressing vitreous motion induced by eye rotations and the possible generation of large mechanical stresses on the retina. Secondly we discuss models associated with RD, focusing on the progression of rhegmatogenous RD and the formation of exudative RD.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Prof. Federica Grillo, University of Genoa (Italy), for drawing Fig. 5a. Mariia Dvoriashyna acknowledges the Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering of the University of Genoa (Italy), where she worked as a PhD student when the original version of this chapter was written.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of Genoa, Genova, Italy

    Rodolfo Repetto

  2. Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Mariia Dvoriashyna

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  1. Rodolfo Repetto
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  2. Mariia Dvoriashyna
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Correspondence to Rodolfo Repetto .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Math Sciences, Indiana University – Purdue University I, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Giovanna Guidoboni

  2. Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA

    Alon Harris

  3. Department of Mathematics, Polytechnic University of Milan, Milan, Italy

    Riccardo Sacco

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Repetto, R., Dvoriashyna, M. (2019). Mathematical Models of Vitreous Humour Dynamics and Retinal Detachment. In: Guidoboni, G., Harris, A., Sacco, R. (eds) Ocular Fluid Dynamics. Modeling and Simulation in Science, Engineering and Technology. Birkhäuser, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25886-3_13

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