Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
15
Spine Model for
Vibration Analysis
Lixin Guo, Ming Zhang, and Ee-Chon Teo
ContentS
Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 175
15.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 175
15.2 Finite Element Modeling of the Human Spine ................................................................... 176
15.3 Validation of Spine Finite Element Models ........................................................................ 179
15.4 Dynamic Characteristics Analysis of the Injured Spine ..................................................... 182
15.5 Transient Response Analysis of the Human Spine ............................................................. 185
15.6 Material Sensitivity Analysis of Spine Finite Element Models .......................................... 190
Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................................... 195
References ...................................................................................................................................... 195
Summary
Epidemiological investigations suggest that whole body vibration (WBV) contributes significantly
to injuries and functional disorders of the skeleton and joints, including the spine. Although a large
number of investigations have drawn attention to the risks of WBV on the human spine, many
dynamic characteristics of the spine and injury mechanisms under vibration loading are not clear.
In this study, a detailed three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of the spine T12-Pelvis seg-
ment was developed for investigating its biomechanical characteristics. Validation was conducted
for static and dynamic conditions, respectively. This study analyzed the frequency characteristics
and modal modes of the intact and injured spine, analyzed the transient response characteristics of
the intact and injured spine, and performed a material sensitivity analysis of the spine FE models.
The findings of this study may be helpful for further understanding the dynamic characteristics of
the human spine and its mechanism of injury under vibration loading, and provide a useful reference
for WBV-related injury treatment in clinics and product development in industry.
15.1 IntroduCtIon
Surveys have shown that as many as 85% of adults experience lower back pain that interferes with
their work or recreational activities and up to 25% of people between the ages of 30 and 50 years
report symptoms of lower back pain. Of all patients suffering lower back pain, 90% recover within
six weeks regardless of the type of treatment received. The remaining 10% who continue to have
problems after three months or longer account for 80% of disability costs related to the spine.
Despite increasing public attention to cumulative trauma disorders of the upper extremities, occu-
pational lower back disorders account for the most significant proportion of industrial-related mus-
culoskeletal disorders (Shirazi-Adl and Parnianpour 2001).
Lower back disorders arising from industrial labor are a complex multifactorial problem.
A complete understanding can only be gained by considering personal and environmental risk
factors, which include both biomechanical and psychosocial factors. The results of epidemiological
175
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