ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The spine structural unit of the cervical spine is a common site of degeneration and trauma. Establishing a good cervical spine model is of great practical significance for studying the biomechanical changes of cervical vertebrae under various conditions, preventing and treating cervical injuries, and improving the treatment methods of neck and effects. OBJECTIVE: To establish a three-dimension finite element model of the whole cervical spine (C0-T1) in normal human and provide a good experimental application basis for further biomechanical research. METHODS: A healthy adult volunteer was selected as the object for data collection. The original data obtained by 256-row CT thin layer scanning, which then has been extracted and edited by software to implement reverse reconstruction. The three-dimensional finite element model of whole cervical spine (C0-T1) was established by the numerical simulation. The range of motion at various directions and mechanical characteristics were verified. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The model had 208 631 nodes and 660 876 solid elements. The range of motion in all directions was good. In addition to the larger C0-C1mobility, all the rest of the segmental motions were consistent with previous literatures. The geometric and biomechanics characters of three-dimensional finite element model of the whole cervical spine (C0-T1) were highly similar to the intact one. The validation of the model was positive.