Influence Prediction of Injury and Vibration on Adjacent Components of Spine Using Finite Element Methods

Abstract

The results indicate that the lumbar spine exhibits not only vertical vibration but also the flexion--extension motion during vibration. The denucleation will cause high stress and large disc bulge on the disc annulus under vibration. The facet joints of lumbar spine can limit the motion amplitude of flexion-extension and protect both the posterior regions and the posterolateral regions of disc annulus from large strain and stress during vibration. The facet joint removal will increase the stress of disc annulus by around 15% at the posterior region for the conditions of nucleotomy or no vibration. The stress of annulus circumference is higher at the posterolateral region than that of other regions of annulus circumference, and the facet joint removal may exacerbate the intervertebral disc degeneration on the condition of whole-body vibration.