The effect of degenerative morphological changes of the intervertebral disc on the lumbar spine biomechanics: a poroelastic finite element investigation

Fabio Galbusera, Hendrik Schmidt, Cornelia Neidlinger-Wilke and Hans-Joachim Wilke

Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, 2011, vol. 14, issue 08, 729-739

Abstract: Intervertebral disc degeneration involves changes in the spinal anatomical structures. The mechanical relevance of the following changes was investigated: disc height, endplate sclerosis, disc water content, permeability and depressurisation. A poroelastic nonlinear finite element model of the L4–L5 human spine segments was employed. Loads represented a daily cycle (500 N compression combined with flexion–extension motion for 16 h followed by 200 N compression for 8 h). In non-degenerative conditions, the model predicted a diurnal axial displacement of 1.32 mm and a peak intradiscal pressure of 0.47 MPa. Axial displacement, facet force and range of motion in flexion–extension are decreased by decreasing disc height. By decreasing the initial water content, axial displacement, facet force and fluid loss were all reduced. Endplate sclerosis did not have a significant influence on the calculated results. Depressurisation determined an increase of the disc effective stress, possibly inducing failure. Degenerative instability was not calculated in any simulations.

Date: 2011
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/10255842.2010.493522 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:gcmbxx:v:14:y:2011:i:08:p:729-739

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/gcmb20

DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2010.493522

Access Statistics for this article

Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering is currently edited by Director of Biomaterials John Middleton

More articles in Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().