Critical evaluation of predictive modelling of a cervical disc design

[摘要] This thesis is concerned with the simulation of the in vivo biomechanical performance of acervical disc replacement. A representative (averaged) maximum range of motion (ROM),determined by measurement of 10 student participants (5 male, 5 female), was used as headmotion input to a simulation model of the cervical spine containing a disc implant at theC5/C6 intervertebral level. Intradiscal pressure, relative applied force on the C5 vertebrae,bending moments and vertebral rotations were recorded. The force and motion componentsof the results obtained were critically evaluated against the ISO and ASTM experimentalprotocol standards, probing the representativeness of these standards to the actual in vivobehaviour of the cervical functional spinal unit. Further, the wear resulting from a lifetime(10 million cycles) of the ISO prescribed -and simulation determined input cycles wassimulated using a linear wear model with a triangulation technique for volume lost due towear, and compared to in vitro results in the literature. The inputs used for the wear modelwere determined from a validated non-linear static contact finite element method (FEM)model. The simulation 'chain shows great potential as a comparative tool for the preexperimentaltesting of spinal implant designs and may be used with relative success as analternative to expensive prototype testing.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University