The anatomy and biomechanics of the intervertebral motion segments is complex, and the development of degenerative motion segment disorders, which occur frequently, is poorly understood. When disc degeneration occurs at one level, whether treated or not, degeneration frequently develops at mobile segments above or below the degenerated or treated segments. After surgical treatment the process is referred to adjacent segment disc disease (ASDD), and the condition clinically called transition syndrome. We do not know at this time if the ASDD is caused by the neighboring degenerated disc or if they represent the natural progression of the lumbar degenerative processes. The development of ASDD is clinically problematic because it can cause pain and necessitate further surgical intervention. The development and severity of ASDD in disc degeneration is broadly believed to depend on a number of variables such as the severity of degeneration, the number of levels that are degenerated and the location of the degenerative disc. Thus it is important to understand how ASDD develops and progresses and how different variables that cause ASDD compare with reference to normal disc biomechanics. It is proposed to address this clinically relevant problem using poroelastic finite element models.
- Bioengineering Division
Generation of Grade Specific Finite Element Model of Lumbar Spines
Natarajan, RN, Gorasia, J, & Andersson, G. "Generation of Grade Specific Finite Element Model of Lumbar Spines." Proceedings of the ASME 2013 Summer Bioengineering Conference. Volume 1A: Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms; Active and Reactive Soft Matter; Atherosclerosis; BioFluid Mechanics; Education; Biotransport Phenomena; Bone, Joint and Spine Mechanics; Brain Injury; Cardiac Mechanics; Cardiovascular Devices, Fluids and Imaging; Cartilage and Disc Mechanics; Cell and Tissue Engineering; Cerebral Aneurysms; Computational Biofluid Dynamics; Device Design, Human Dynamics, and Rehabilitation; Drug Delivery and Disease Treatment; Engineered Cellular Environments. Sunriver, Oregon, USA. June 26–29, 2013. V01AT09A001. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/SBC2013-14123
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