[A study of the surgical anatomy of the corneo-scleral limbus].

ABSTRACT

The superficial apparent width of the corneo-scleral limbus of 39 cadaver eyes were measured to be 1.00 (0.70-1.40) mm at 12 o'clock. Microscopically, the distance from the end of Bowman's membrane to the posterior limbal margin was 1.74 (1.45-1.96) mm in adults; the end of Descemet's membrane was 0.12 mm anterior to the posterior limbal margin; the anterior border of Schlemm's canal was 0.27 mm behind the posterior limbal margin; however, in 1/3 of the eyes, it was anterior to it. Therefore, the surgical corneoscleral incision should be placed at the posterior margin of the limbus and perpendicular to the surface to avoid injury to the corneal endothelium or Schlemm's canal in most eyes.