We propose a method for extracting the axial length of the human eye from high-resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) retinal scans. The method evaluates the chromatic dispersion introduced by the anterior segment and the vitreous of the eye. By analyzing sub-spectral scans, we quantify the axial shift caused by dispersion and relate it to the thicknesses of the media passed by the OCT beam. The method depends on accurate k-linearization and pixel-to-wavenumber… …