Title: Evaluation of the effect of cervical spine compression and sagittal moments on the spinal cord using finite element method

Authors: Hamid Ghaemi; Noushin Bahramshahi

Addresses: Department of Aerospace Engineering, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 2K3, Canada ' Department of Aerospace Engineering, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3, Canada

Abstract: The spinal cord may be injured through various spinal column injury patterns, e.g., burst fracture, fracture dislocation. However, the relationship between column injury pattern and cord damage is not well understood. This investigation was conducted a model of C3-C5 with spinal cord to study spinal cord behavior under various loading conditions. Here, two models were developed and analysed for comparison; one with spinal cord and one without spinal cord. Flexion\extension and right\left lateral bending loading conditions were simulated and validated with the published experimental data for model without spinal cord. Then, spinal cord was incorporated into the model and identical simulations were carried out to determine the stress and strain distribution on segment of the C3-C5 model. This study used the soil mechanics formulation of MSC.Marc finite element software to model the mechanical behaviour of vertebrae and intervertebral discs as biphasic and employed an elastic material model for the ligaments and spinal cord components.

Keywords: spinal cord; stress; strain; finite element analysis; FEA; cervical spinal column; spinal column injuries; injury patterns; cord damage; modelling; lateral bending; loading conditions; simulation; soil mechanics; mechanical behaviour; vertebrae; intervertebral discs; biphasic; elastic materials; ligaments; spine compression; sagittal moments.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2012.048823

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2012 Vol.9 No.3, pp.260 - 276

Published online: 12 Dec 2014 *

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