Comparison of angular displacement and stress of adjacent segment disc treated with semi-rigid and rigid fixation / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND:Theoreticaly, lumbar semi-rigid fixation can slow down the degeneration of adjacent segments, but there is stil a lack of biomechanical support. OBJECTIVE:To explore the biomechanical effect of semi-rigid fixation system, taking Isobar TTL for instance, on adjacent segment disc by means of finite element analysis. METHODS: The finite element models of USS and Isobar TTL were constructed by putting respective parameters into a validated L2-S5 lumbar model. The angular displacement and von Mises stress of adjacent segments were recorded when the models were subjected to 400 N preload and 7.5 N?m moment of forces under different conditions flexion, extension, lateral bending and axial rotation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The angular displacement and inter-vertebral disc stress of adjacent segments in the USS and Isobar TTL models were higher than those of an intact state in every condition. But the values in Isobar TTL model were lower than the USS model in varying degrees. Compared with the USS model, the decrease rates of angular displacement in Isobar TTL model for flexion, extension, left bending, right bending, left axial rotation and right axial rotation were 19.2%, 15.1%, 11.1%, 12.2%, 18.4% and 22.1%, respectively. The decrease rates of von Mises stress were 33.0%, 20.2%, 23.9%, 18.6%, 28.8% and 28.0%, respectively. The results suggested that the Isobar TTL, when compared with the USS, partialy reduced the angular displacement and inter-vertebral disc stress of adjacent segments.