Comparison of Toric Orthokeratology and Soft Toric Multifocal Contact Lenses in Managing the Astigmatic Myope

Purpose: Myopia management is an important intervention to reduce the risk of vision threatening ocular disease. Contact lens treatments for patients with astigmatism include toric orthokeratology (TOK) and soft toric multifocal (STM) lenses. The purpose of this study was to quantify visual performance and the potential for myopia management efficacy with TOK and STM in moderate to high astigmatic patients. Methods: Thirty adults, age 18-39 years, with myopia (plano to -5.00 D) and refractive astigmatism (-1.25 to -3.50 D) were recruited to complete this five-visit crossover study. Subjects wore both TOK and STM lenses in random order for 10±2 days each. After lens wear, visual performance and acceptance was measured with logMAR visual acuity and patient-reported outcome surveys. Peripheral refraction and wavefront aberrometry were measured to determine the lens’ potential impact for myopia management. Results: Adults, who are critical users, preferred STM for cost when forced to choose between the two corrections. Compared to baseline, TOK induced a myopic shift in defocus (M) at all retinal locations except 20 degrees nasal (all p<0.03), but STM only induced a myopic shift at 20 degrees temporal (p<0.03). TOK resulted in more myopic defocus than STM at all locations (all p<0.05) except 20 degrees nasal and temporal in the left eye. Higher-order root mean square wavefront error (5 mm pupil diameter) was significantly increased with TOK (0.64±0.22 µm) and STM (0.48±0.11 µm) from baseline (0.24±0.08 µm, both p < 0.001), and TOK was elevated compared to STM (p = 0.026). Conclusion: TOK induced greater peripheral myopic defocus and higher-order aberrations, which may indicate improved efficacy for myopia management. Adult astigmats preferred the vision with TOK over STM.