Euler stability of the human ligamentous lumbar spine, II:​ experiment

Crisco, J. J.<sup>1</sup>; Panjabi, M. M.<sup>1</sup>; Yamamoto, I.<sup>2</sup>; Oxland, T. R.<sup>1</sup>

Affiliations

¹Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

²Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hokkaido University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan

Abstract and keywords

The lateral backing and postbuckling behaviour of the intact and injured whole human lumbar spine was experimentally studied using six fresh cadaveric specimens. The ligamentous lumbar spine was loaded in axial compression and the lateral rotation of each vertebra was recorded. At the point of the load application, the most superior vertebrae, the specimens were constrained to move in the frontal plane since sagittal plane buckling will not occur due to the lumbar lordosis. The average load required to buckle an intact whole lumbar specimen was 88 N, and significantly decreased with injury. Once the spines had buckled, the postbuckling behaviour was recorded. These results were compared to theoretical predictions of a model (see Part I). The model was demonstrated to be in excellent agreement with the experimental results.

Relevance: Demonstrated to behave as an Euler column, the ligamentous lumbar spine is unstable in lateral bending under loads less than bodyweight. This reinforces the vital role of the neuromuscular system and the dramatic effect its failure can have.

Keywords: Euler stability; lumbar spine; model

Links

DOI: 10.1016/0268-0033(92)90004-N

PubMed: 23915613

WoS: A1992HA18900003

History

Received: 1990-11-19

Accepted: 1991-04-25

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