Figure 4:

Schematic illustration of mechanical implications of remodeling of LC beam collagen. (A) Example LC section of a sheep eye fixed at 5 mmHg and the close-up showing the crimped collagen fibers in a single beam. (B) Without remodeling, all LC beams have the same mechanical properties, that is, thin and thick beams have the same tortuosity (top). Thin and thick beams stiffen at the same level of stretch, with the thick beam consistently carrying more force than the thin beam. After remodeling, the thin beam has a lower tortuosity than the thick beam (bottom). The thin beam stiffens at a lower level of stretch. Hence, for this beam, there is a range of stretches within the thin beam carries more force than the thick beam. This also results in the existence of a crossover point at which both beams carry the same force (i.e., the homeostatic strain condition). At a higher level of stretch, the thick beam carries more force than the thin beam. LC, lamina cribrosa.