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Dynamic stiffness and damping of human intervertebral disc using axial oscillatory displacement under a free mass system

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyse the dynamic response of the human intervertebral disc to vibration in a physiologically relevant frequency spectrum. Eight lumbar intervertebral discs were harvested. After preparation, each sample was subjected to a pre-loading and then dynamic compression (from 5 to 30 Hz). The dynamic compression was applied using an experimental set-up comprising a free weight loading from above and a driving oscillatory displacement from below (closest to the in vivo loading). A viscoelastic model enabled the calculation of stiffness and damping from the transfer function. From 5 Hz to 30 Hz the stiffness values are between 0.19 and 3.66 (MN/m) and the damping values between 32 and 2094 (Ns/m). The mean resonant frequency was found at 8.7 Hz. These dynamic characteristics of the intervertebral disc could be used in a three-dimensional finite elements model of the human body to study its response to vibration in the driving position.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are deeply grateful to J. Magnier, A. Sitterlin, and Y. Decaesterker for their valuable technical help and to the Institut d’Anatomie, Université René Descartes, Paris, and the Laboratoire d’Anatomie, Tours, for providing the intervertebral discs.

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  1. Laboratoire de Biomécanique, ENSAM-CNRS, 151 boulevard de l’Hôpital, 75013, Paris, France

    O. Izambert, D. Mitton, M. Thourot & F. Lavaste

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  1. O. Izambert
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  2. D. Mitton
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  3. M. Thourot
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  4. F. Lavaste
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Correspondence to O. Izambert.

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Izambert, O., Mitton, D., Thourot, M. et al. Dynamic stiffness and damping of human intervertebral disc using axial oscillatory displacement under a free mass system. Eur Spine J 12, 562–566 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-003-0569-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-003-0569-0

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