Biomechanics of the Spine and Intervertebral Disc

Biome

13 cards   |   Total Attempts: 188
  

Cards In This Set

Front Back
What are the two main functions of the vertebral spine?
How does the spine gain stabliity/move?
1. protect spinal chord
2. transfer loads from head and trunk to the pelvis
Motion in 3 planes
Gains stability from intervertebral discs, ligaments and muscles
Vertebral body anatomy
Body - Transfers weight along axis of column, connected with ligament, separated with intervertebral discs
Vertebral Arch - forms post. margin of foramen
Articular Processes
Motion Segment
Functional unit of spine
Consists of two vertebrae, intervening soft tissue
Function of Vertebral Bodies
Intervertebral discs
Bear compressive loads,
Discs bear and distribute loads - restrain excessive motion (has two regions)
What are the regions of the spine, describe
Cervical - support skull, neck, head, allow head movement
Thoracic - support head, neck, upeer limbs, chest, articulate with ribs to allow changes in thoracic cavity volume
Lumbar - largest of vertebrae - take most weight, massive spinous process to provide attachment for lower back muscles
Kinematics of spine
Possible movements of joints
Motion produced by nerve and muscle coordination
motion btw two vertebrae is small - combined action of several motion segs required
motion decreases by about 50% with age

1. flexion bend anteriorly
2. extension bend posteriorly
3. lateral flexion
4. rotaiton
Flexion
What allows further flexion
What initiates flexion
What produces further flexion - what controlls this
50-60 of spine flexion occurs in lumar spine
tilting pelvis - more flexion
initiated by abdominal muscles and psoas msucles
weight of upper body, controlled by increasing activity of erector spinae muscles
Kinetics
How are loads applied in spine
Standing loads
Loads are produced primarily by BW, muscle activity and externally applied loads
During standing line of gravity of trunk typically passes ventral to the transverse axis of motion of the spine
motion segements subject to forward bending moment that is balanced by ligament forces and erector spinae muscle forces

Pelvis plays role on muscle activity and loads
Tilting changes angle of inclination of sacrum
Backward tilt - sacral angle decrease, lumbar lordosis flattens, adjust centre of gravity to minimize muscle work
Loads on spine
50%
100%
130%
150%
200%
Lie down
stand
sit right
leaning forward stand
sit bad posture
What is the load on the 3rd lumbar disc during relaxed upright standing
What happens during flexion/forward inclination
~2 x body weight
increase load by increasing forward bending moment
also makes the disc bulge on the compressive side, retrac on tensile side
When are the loads on the lumbar spine lower
What helps this happen
Supported sitting - supports weight of upper body with backrest
backward inclination helps this even more
Load lifting - what is the best way
Picking up object to minimize distance of object from CG bending with object closer to body
Intervertebral Disc
What is the inner portion
What is the outer portion
Inner - nucleus pulposus - gelatinous mass rich in hydrophillic glycosaminoglycans
Outer covering - fibrocartilage -