Abstract
This study uses a one-way coupled fluid-structure interaction (FSI) model of the anterior area to assess the velocity field and shear stress distribution on the corneal endothelium under healthy circumstances. Key anatomical measurements were included in the reconstruction of a physiologically appropriate three-dimensional geometry, including anterior chamber width of 3.42 mm and iridocorneal angle radii of 0.28 and 5.0 mm. For these parameters, a transient FSI study was conducted in ANSYS 2023. AH was shown as an incompressible Newtonian fluid with a constant input rate of (1.5–3.0 with a step of 0.5) µL/min to reproduce normal production. A linear elastic solid model represented the cornea, and limbal boundary conditions were imposed to replicate the physiological attachment of the tissue to the sclera. The transverse midplane velocity contours directed a parabolic shape with peak consequences near the chamber’s geometric center. Regional heterogeneity in endothelial shear stress was estimated at the fluid-solid boundary. At peripheral curvature transitions, maximum stress concentrations correspond to R0.28 mm and R5 mm radii. The endothelial fluid wall shear stress (WSS) ranged from −129.19 to 129.32 Pa. Constant input creates a cyclic shear environment by reversing stress polarity across the cornea. Results show that aqueous flow produces endothelial shear stresses over 120 Pa, an order of magnitude greater than limits for mechanotransduction and cytoskeletal modification. The strong stress magnitude dependence on local curvature implies that angle geometry may affect mechanical sensitivity to corneal endothelium malfunction. This FSI paradigm confirms flow-induced shear as a significant, spatially altering mechanical input in the anterior chamber, furthering the pressure-centric IOP attitude. The model provides quantitative organization for patient-specific glaucomatous pathology and surgical planning investigations.
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