Imaging Approaches to Quantifying the Biomechanical Properties of the Human Vitreous In Vivo: A Review

The biomechanics of the vitreous humor undergo important changes in both normal aging and various pathologic conditions. While these changes are clinically visible, there are limited objective in vivo measurements of vitreous biomechanics. New imaging modalities have the potential to enable quantitative assessment of vitreous properties such as viscoelasticity in vivo, which could have relevance in assessing the risk of progression of vitreoretinal diseases. In this article, we discuss the current clinical approaches to vitreous biomechanics and review relevant new imaging methods with potential for clinical translation.