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Influence of different postures under vertical impact load on thoracolumbar burst fracture

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Abstract

Clinical studies have extensively shown that burst fractures can cause severe and long-term neurological deficits. However, the mechanism of burst fracture is not clear, and the influence of different spinal postures on burst fracture is still unidentified. The study aimed at investigating the influence of different postures under vertical impact load on thoracolumbar burst fracture. A detailed nonlinear finite element model of T12-L2 segment was developed to investigate these problems. In this work, a rigid ball was used to vertically impact the finite element spinal segment, which emulated the process of burst fracture as in experimental condition. During the process, amounting to 9 different postures (normal, flexion, extension, right/left lateral bending of 8°, right/left axial rotation of 4° and 8°) were studied. Totally five failure modes were observed. Six different parameters, including vertebral height, vertebral bulge, interpedicular widening, vertebral kyphotic angle, posterior vertebral body angle, and joint facet contact force, were observed to evaluate the corresponding severity of burst fracture. Burst fracture in extension was the severest, and the loss of vertebral height in flexion was the most. The different postures in these simulations changed the morphology of intervertebral disc and facet joints force, resulting in different types of fracture.

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Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51875096, 51275082).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China

    Wu-Jie Li & Li-Xin Guo

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  1. Wu-Jie Li
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Correspondence to Li-Xin Guo.

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Highlight

• Reproducing burst fracture in different postures.

• Burst fracture in extension was the severest.

• The loss of vertebral height in flexion was the most.

• 5 fracture types defined in the clinical medicine were obtained in 9 postures.

• The severity of fracture was analyzed by quantitative method in some parameters.

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Li, WJ., Guo, LX. Influence of different postures under vertical impact load on thoracolumbar burst fracture. Med Biol Eng Comput 58, 2725–2736 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-020-02254-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-020-02254-1

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