Thoracolumbar spine model with articulated ribcage for the prediction of dynamic spinal loading

  • Musculoskeletal modeling offers an invaluable insight into the spine biomechanics. A better understanding of thoracic spine kinetics is essential for understanding disease processes and developing new prevention and treatment methods. Current models of the thoracic region are not designed for segmental load estimation, or do not include the complex construct of the ribcage, despite its potentially important role in load transmission. In this paper, we describe a numerical musculoskeletal model of the thoracolumbar spine with articulated ribcage, modeled as a system of individual vertebral segments, elastic elements and thoracic muscles, based on a previously established lumbar spine model and data from the literature. The inverse dynamics simulations of the model allow the prediction of spinal loading as well as costal joints kinetics and kinematics. The intradiscal pressure predicted by the model correlated well (R2=0.89) with reported intradiscal pressure measurements, providing a first validation of the model. The inclusion of the ribcage did not affect segmental force predictions when the thoracic spine did not perform motion. During thoracic motion tasks, the ribcage had an important influence on the predicted compressive forces and muscle activation patterns. The compressive forces were reduced by up to 32%, or distributed more evenly between thoracic vertebrae, when compared to the predictions of the model without ribcage, for mild thoracic flexion and hyperextension tasks, respectively. The presented musculoskeletal model provides a tool for investigating thoracic spine loading and load sharing between vertebral column and ribcage during dynamic activities. Further validation for specific applications is still necessary.

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Metadaten
Author:Dominika Ignasiak, Sebastian DendorferORCiD, Stephen J. Ferguson
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2015.10.010
Parent Title (English):Journal of Biomechanics
Publisher:Elsevier Science
Document Type:Article
Language:English
Year of first Publication:2016
Release Date:2020/05/18
Tag:Inverse dynamics; Musculoskeletal model; Thoracolumbar spine
GND Keyword:Brustwirbelsäule; Brustkorb; Biomechanik; Mechanische Belastung; Prognose
Volume:vol. 49
Issue:6
First Page:959
Last Page:966
Institutes:Fakultät Maschinenbau
Regensburg Center of Biomedical Engineering - RCBE
Fakultät Maschinenbau / Labor Biomechanik (LBM)
Begutachtungsstatus:peer-reviewed
research focus:Lebenswissenschaften und Ethik