{
  "abstract": "Purpose: To report baseline anterior scleral thickness (AST) values and evaluate regional and sex-related variation in healthy young Saudi adults using swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT). Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study included 55 healthy Saudi adults aged 18–40 years. Participants underwent comprehensive ocular examinations to exclude pathology or significant refractive errors. AST was measured using IMAGEnet 6 software in superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal quadrants at 0 mm, 1 mm, and 2 mm from the scleral spur using the anterior segment module of swept-source OCT. Regional and sex-related differences were evaluated using a linear mixed-effects model adjusted for age and spherical equivalent. Short-term within-session intra-observer test–retest repeatability across repeated B-scan acquisitions was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients, within-subject coefficients of variation, and Bland–Altman analysis. Results: The mean age of participants was 23.56 ± 4.61 years (34 males, 21 females). AST varied significantly according to distance and anatomical quadrant (both p < 0.001), with significant distance-by-quadrant (p < 0.001) and sex-by-distance-by-quadrant interactions (p = 0.010). The inferior quadrant generally showed greater thickness, while the superior quadrant showed lower values. Bonferroni-adjusted location-specific comparisons showed greater AST in males in the superior and temporal quadrants at both 1 mm and 2 mm from the scleral spur, whereas the remaining sex comparisons were not statistically significant. Neither age nor spherical equivalent showed a significant independent association with AST. Intra-observer ICC values ranged from 0.872 to 0.939. Conclusions: AST in young Saudi adults varies according to anatomical quadrant and distance from the scleral spur, with sex-related differences showing location-dependent patterns. These findings provide descriptive baseline data for anterior scleral morphology in this population.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraidah 51452, Saudi Arabia"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 4,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Naveen Kumar Challa",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8336-3936"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Nawaf M. Almutairi",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-7397-2869"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Bandar M. Alenezi",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9346-280X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Abdelaziz Mohamed Elmadina"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/28r0gf6rwekg1.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/jcm15207847",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "28r0gf6rwekg1",
  "issns": [
    "2077-0383"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/20/7847",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2731|Glaucoma and retinal disorders"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7221545650",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-12",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/28r0gf6rwekg1.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:20:00Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/jcm15207847",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/20/7847"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2731|Glaucoma and retinal disorders",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Anterior Scleral Thickness in Young Saudi Adults Measured Using Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography: Sex- and Quadrant-Specific Variations",
  "title_text": "Anterior Scleral Thickness in Young Saudi Adults Measured Using Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography: Sex- and Quadrant-Specific Variations",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:20:00Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/28r0gf6rwekg1",
  "venue": "Journal of Clinical Medicine",
  "versions": []
}