Using a new tool developed in our laboratory to quantify local pressure changes on an artificial spinal cord, quantitative results correlating fracture/soft tissue pathology with cord pressure changes, was accomplished. Human cadaveric head-neck complexes were dynamically loading by fixating the inferior of the preparation and removing the cadaver spinal cord The instrumented artificial spinal cord was inserted into the spinal canal. Under dynamic axial loading rates, compression injuries including burst and wedge fractures in the middle column were produced. Cord pressures at levels with minor injuries were 35 to 75 N/cm² and unaffected (non-failure) levels were generally low from 0 to 30 N/cm². Cord pressures at levels with significant fractures or dislocations were much higher from 50 to 200 N/cm².