Because our model breaks down the modulation of mRCRP as the combination of a SE asymmetry caused by lens decentration and astigmatism, it helps to explain the contradictory reports on axial growth and initial refractive condition. The existing results about the relationship between initial SE and axial elongation in orthokeratology treatment are contradictory. While some studies showed that initial SE is negatively correlated with axial elongation,
12,19,36 others reported a lack of association.
8,9,37 A closer look showed that the ranges of initial SEs are different in those studies. In studies that report a lack of association, the subjects' initial SEs are in a limited middle range, mostly between −1 and −4 D.
8,37 In studies that reported a significant association, the subjects' initial SEs often went beyond this range.
9,19,36 Our model provided a potential explanation for this apparent contradiction. As shown in the
Table, mean power (M) was significantly correlated with initial SEs. Subjects with an initial SE > −4.5 D are similar to the one shown in
Figure 9A, which has a large M and is likely to achieve an effective control. Subjects with initial SE < −1 D are similar to the one shown in
Figure 9B, which has a small M value and is most likely to have an ineffective myopic control. In linear regression, those patients are data points at the two extremes. With them included, a significant slope is more likely to be established. With those extreme values excluded from analysis, the reported significant association simply disappears.
12,19,36 Subjects with initial SEs in the middle range are similar those shown in
Figures 9C and
9D, in which the modulation of the mRCRP interferes with the effect of SE. That might explain the lack of a significant correlation between SE and axial growth in previous studies. Patients with a middle range of initial SE make up the majority of the clinical visits for orthokeratology. Therefore, it is of great clinical significance to show that the modulation of the mRCRP increases the chances for those patients to have an effective myopic control.