所有多細胞生物都含有一種纖維蛋白質-膠原(collagen),事實上,它是哺乳動物含量最多的一種蛋白質,佔全部蛋白質總量的四分之一。膠原是角膜基質層(stroma)最主要的成分,約佔百分之八十至九十,膠原因其分子式不同可分為四型,例如角膜、皮膚、肌腱、骨等組織之膠原屬第一型。 旋轉膠原(tropocol lagen)是膠原分子最基本的結構單位,它是由三條同樣大小的多胜鏈(polypeptide chains)所組成。這種旋轉膠原分解後的多胜鏈就是我們普通所稱的膠質(gelatin)。這種膠原保護膜有保護及潤滑角膜上皮的作用,並可促進角膜上皮的再生。臨床上我們應用在外傷性角膜上皮破損或手術後的傷口上,有減輕患者痛苦及增進傷口癒合的功能,本實驗共收集三十六病例,眼前部手術九例及角膜疾病二十七例,以供參考。
Callagen accounts for approximately one-quarter of total body protein and is the most abundant protein in both animals and humans. Collagen is actually a family of proteins consisting of a number of major types that are distinguished by slight variation in amino acid sequence. We applied collagen corneal shields following ant segment surgery (9 cases) and in instances of keratopathy (27 Cases). All patients tolerated the collagen shield well, which was noted to have biodegraded within 18-24 hours following application. Such devices will clearly lubricate and protect the corneal epithelium and encourage reepithelialization.