Biomechanical investigation on the influence of the regional material degeneration of an intervertebral disc in a lower lumbar spinal unit: A finite element study

Computers in Biology and Medicine
Masni-Azian, Masao Tanaka

Abstract

Intervertebral disc degeneration involves changes in its material properties that affect the mechanical functions of the spinal system. However, the alteration of the biomechanics of a spinal segment through specific material degradation in a specific region is poorly understood. In this study, the influence of the constitutive material degeneration of disc tissues on the mechanics of a lower lumbar spinal unit was examined using a three-dimensional nonlinear finite element model of the L4-L5 functional spinal unit. Different grades of disc degeneration were simulated by introducing a degeneration factor to the corresponding material properties to represent fibrous nucleus, increased fibre and ground substance laxity, increased fibre stiffness and total annular fracture along posterior and posterolateral regions. The model was loaded with an axial compression of 500 N and pure moments of up to 10 Nm to simulate extension, flexion, lateral bending and axial rotation. To validate the model, the spinal motion and intradiscal pressure of healthy and degenerated discs with existing in vitro data were compared. The disc with a fibrous nucleus and the presence of intradiscal pressure increase the spinal instability during flexion and ...Continue Reading

Citations

Oct 15, 2019·Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part H, Journal of Engineering in Medicine·Jayanta Kumar BiswasSubhasish Halder
Aug 11, 2019·BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders·Jingchi LiLin Xie
Oct 29, 2020·Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering·A P G Castro, J L Alves

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Biomechanics

Biomechanics examines the generation of internal forces within the body and investigates the effects and control of forces that act on or are produced on tissues. Here are the latest discoveries.