Full-Thickness Macular Hole

A 68-year-old woman presents with sudden central vision loss and metamorphopsia in her right eye. Fundoscopy reveals a sharply demarcated round red defect at the fovea with a surrounding gray halo. OCT confirms a full-thickness disruption of all retinal layers from the internal limiting membrane to the retinal pigment epithelium, with complete separation of the posterior vitreous from the retina. The structure marked **B** in the diagram represents the avulsed foveal tissue that has been lifted into the vitreous cavity. Which of the following best describes the pathophysiologic mechanism underlying the formation of this stage 4 macular hole?