Evaluation of the role of ligaments, facets and disc nucleus in lower cervical spine under compression and sagittal moments using finite element method

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Teo, E. C.¹; Ng, H. W.¹

Evaluation of the role of ligaments, facets and disc nucleus in lower cervical spine under compression and sagittal moments using finite element method

Med Eng Phys. April 2001;23(3):155-164

©2001 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Affiliations

¹School of Mechanical and Production Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore 639798
Abstract and keywords

Cervical spinal instability due to ligamentous injury, degenerated disc and facetectomy is a subject of great controversy. There is no analytical investigation reported on the biomechanical response of cervical spine in these respects. Parametric study on the roles of ligaments, facets, and disc nucleus of human lower cervical spine (C4–C6) was conducted for the very first time using noninvasive finite element method.

A three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of the human lower cervical spine, consisted of 11,187 nodes and 7730 elements modeling the bony vertebrae, articulating facets, intervertebral disc, and associated ligaments, was developed and validated against the published data under three load configurations: axial compression; flexion; and extension. The FE model was further modified accordingly to investigate the role of disc, facets and ligaments in preserving cervical spine motion segment stability in these load configurations. The passive FE model predicted the nonlinear force displacement response of the human cervical spine, with increasing stiffness at higher loads. It also predicted that ligaments, facets or disc nucleus are crucial to maintain the cervical spine stability, in terms of sagittal rotational movement or redistribution of load. FE method of analysis is an invaluable application that can supplement experimental research in understanding the clinical biomechanics of the human cervical spine.

Keywords: Spinal stability; Disc nucleus; Ligaments; Facets; Force redistribution
Links

DOI: 10.1016/S1350-4533(01)00036-4

PubMed: 11410380

WoS: 000169830700002
History

Received: 2000-11-22

Revised: 2001-02-10

Accepted: 2001-03-21

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2010	Quinn KP. Integrating Electrophysiological, Mechanical, and Optical Methods to Define the Mechanisms of Painful Facet Joint Injury [PhD thesis]. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania; 2010.
2019	Herron MR. FEBio Finite Element Models of the Human Cervical Spine [Master's thesis]. University of Utah; December 2019.
2006	Panzer MB. Numerical Modelling of the Human Cervical Spine in Frontal Impact [Master's thesis]. University of Waterloo; 2006.
2018	Khor F. Computational Modeling of Hard Tissue Response and Fracture in the Lower Cervical Spine Under Compression Including Age Effects [Master's thesis]. University of Waterloo; 2018.