Biomechanical Assessment of the Role of the Posterior Elements of the Lumbar Spine-a Finite Element Analysis

柯俊宏(Jiunn-Hong Ke) ； 黃聰仁(Tsung-Jen Huang) ； 陳博光(Po-Quang Chen) ； Natarajan RN ； Andersson GBJ

《Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery Taiwan》 11卷5期 (1994/10) Pp. 233-248

並列摘要

A three dimensional finite element model of an intact spinal motion segment was developed to study the effect of removal of the posterior elements (total facetectomy) on the response to different physiological loading conditions. Loads were first applied to the intact segment and then to a segment where the posterior elements had been removed. Total facetectomy increased the flexibility of the motion segment in all tested loading modes. The increase in flexibility was 240% under torsional loading, 90% in lateral bending and 30% in extension. Flexion and compression loads were primarily resisted by the intervertebral disc and thus total facetectomy had a smaller effect on flexibility under these load conditions. Total facetectomy makes the motion segment most unstable in torsion. The large increase in flexibility in torsion places the motion segment at risk, and thus if total facetectomy is done a fusion should be per-formed at the same time.

並列關鍵字

finite element analysis ； flexibility ； load-bearing capacity, spinal mo-tion segment ； total facetectomy ； lumbar fusion ； instability