Effect of Peripheral Defocus Contact Lens Residual Decentration After Six Months of Wear on the Astigmatic Component in Myopic Children

Background/Objectives: To ascertain if the residual decentration of contact lenses with peripheral retinal defocusing geometry could be associated with alterations in the astigmatic refractive component over a six-month period of wear in children. Methods: A total of 39 eyes from 39 participants (mean age: 11.1 ± 1.54 years, ranging from 6 to 13 years) were included. Participants underwent an eye examination and were assigned to one of three studied lenses: multifocal contact lenses with either non-adjustable (Biofinity Multifocal) or adjustable parameters (Gentle 80 Multifocal), or a contact lens designed for myopia control (MYLO). After six months of lens wear, a refractive assessment was performed and topographic images of the eye with the contact lens fitted were taken. From these images, the decentration of each contact lens was calculated using ImageJ 1.54d software. Results: There was no significant difference in the decentration amount or angle between the three contact lenses studied (one-way ANOVA, both p ≥ 0.088). After six months of contact lens wear, there were no significant differences in astigmatic components (cylinder power and axis and J0 and J45 vectors) related to lens decentration (Wilcoxon test; all p ≥ 0.209). Moreover, there was no significant relationship between lens decentration (amount or angle) and changes in astigmatic components (Spearman’s correlation, all p ≥ 0.147). Conclusions: Residual contact lens decentration was observed in both adjustable and non-adjustable lenses. However, within the limitations of this study, no significant correlation was detected between lens decentration and variations in the astigmatic refractive components after six months of contact lens wear.