silmäkapselia

Silmäkapseli, in ophthalmology Finnish, refers to the crystalline lens capsule, a transparent and elastic basement membrane that encloses the crystalline lens of the eye. It can be conceptually divided into an anterior capsule and a posterior capsule. The capsule is produced mainly by lens epithelial cells and forms a flexible envelope that helps maintain the lens’s shape and provides attachment for the zonular fibers around the lens equator. The anterior capsule is involved in housing the lens epithelium and participates in growth and remodeling during development, while the posterior capsule acts as a stable back boundary for the lens.

The capsule plays a key role in lens physiology. It remains clear throughout life and, together with the surrounding vitreous body and iris, helps contribute to the optical properties of the eye. The capsule’s elasticity changes with age, affecting accommodation—the ability to focus on near objects—and it serves as a barrier regulating the exchange of nutrients to the lens.

Clinically, the silmäkapseli is central to cataract treatment and intraocular lens implantation. During cataract surgery, the capsule is often preserved to support an artificial intraocular lens, with the central portion opened by a capsulotomy to remove the cloudy lens material. Complications can include capsule rupture, posterior capsule opacification years after surgery, and capsule contraction syndrome, which may affect vision and require laser treatment or other interventions.