A new Lenstar is born

As referred to in other features in this special issue, the assessment of axial length is now considered essential for assessing myopia progression and the effect of any therapy. To quote directly from recently published guidance for European practitioners involved with myopia management: ‘Axial length is the most important metric to monitor in pre-myopic and myopic children.’¹

Axial length has long been an important measurement in biometry and, well before the rise of myopia management, was a key part of pre-surgical assessment where cataracts were to be replaced with an appropriately powered intraocular lens. Initially undertaken by contact ultrasonography, the introduction of optical systems in the 1990s greatly improved accuracy and repeatability in the measurement of on-axis dimensions of eyes (figure 1). One of the major players in this field was the Haag-Streit Lenstar, the latest incarnation of which (the Lenstar 900) is to be found in hospital eye units throughout the UK.