Analysis of the mechanical response of damaged human cervical spine ligaments

Trajkovski, Ana (author), Hribernik, Marija (author), Kunc, Robert (author), Kranjec, Matej (author), Krašna, Simon (author)

Background: Cervical spine ligaments that protect the spinal cord and stabilize the spine are frequently injured in motor vehicle collisions and other traumatic situations. These injuries are usually incomplete, and often difficult to notice. The focus of the presented study is placed on analysis of the effect of subfailure load on the mechanical response of the three main cervical spine ligaments: the anterior and the posterior longitudinal ligament and the ligamentum flavum. Methods: A total of 115 samples of human cadaveric ligaments removed within 24–48 h after death have been tested. Uniaxial tension tests along the fiber direction were performed in physiological conditions on a custom designed test equipment. The ligaments were loaded into an expected damage zone at two different subfailure values (based on previously reported reference group of 46 samples), and then reloaded to failure. Findings: The main effect of a high subfailure load has proven to be the toe elongation change. The toe elongation increase is affected by the subfailure load value. While anterior and posterior longitudinal ligament showed similar changes, the smallest subfailure effect was found in ligamentum flavum. Interpretations: The normal physiological region of the cervical spine ligaments mechanical response is modified by a high subfailure load. The observed ligament injury significantly compromises ligament ability to give tensile support within physiological spinal motion.

• Language: English
• Keywords: spine biomechanics, cervical spine, ligament, injury, subfailure, cervical spine ligament
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering; MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: 9 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 75, art. 105012
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-137771
• UDC: 614.8:531:616.75+611.711(045)
• ISSN on article: 0268-0033
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2020.105012
• COBISS.SI-ID: 14633987
• Publication date in RUL: 30.06.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Clinical biomechanics
• Shortened title: Clin. biomech.
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0268-0033
• COBISS.SI-ID: 25229824

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: biomehanika hrbtenice, vratna hrbtenica, ligament, poškodba, obremenitev v predelu poškodbe

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0109
• Name: Modeliranje v tehniki in medicini