Age-Related Changes in Scleral Material Properties of the Monkey Eye

The sclera is the outer shell and principal load-bearing tissue of the eye, which consists primarily of avascular lamellae of collagen fibers. Ninety percent of the collagen fibers in the sclera are Type I, which provide the eye with necessary mechanical strength to sustain intraocular pressure (IOP). In the posterior sclera, there is a fenestrated canal, called the optic nerve head (ONH), through which the retinal ganglion cell axons pass transmitting visual signals from the retina to the brain. The opening of the ONH is structurally supported by a fenestrated connective tissue called the lamina cribrosa.