Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

The behaviour of the lumbar intervertebral disc under repetitive forces

  • Published:
International Orthopaedics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Cadaveric specimens consisting of two lumbar vertebrae and the intervening disc were subjected to cyclic forces in order to study the creep properties of the intervertebral disc. The results show that the upper vertebrae crept forward symmetrically and by amounts dependent on the degree of disc degeneration and the applied force.

Résumé

On a soumis une pièce cadavérique consistant en deux vertèbres lombaires unies par leur disque à des contraintes alternées afin d'apprécier l'élasticité du disque intervertèbral. Cette étude montre que la vertèbre supérieure glisse vers l'avant de façon symétrique, l'importance du déplacement dépendant du degré de dégénérescence discale et de la force appliquée.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Adams, M. A., Hutton, W. C.: The effect of posture on the role of the apophyseal joints in resisting intervertebral compressive forces. J. Bone Joint Surg. [Br.] 62, 358–362 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Adams, M. A., Hutton, W. C., Stott, J. R. R.: The resistance to flexion of the lumbar intervertebral joint. Spine 5, 245–253 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cyron, B. M., Hutton, W. C.: The fatigue strength of the lumbar neural arch in spondylolysis. J. Bone Joint Surg. [Br.] 60, 234–238 (1978)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Cyron, B. M., Hutton, W. C.: Articular tropism and stability of the lumbar spine. Spine 5, 168–172 (1980)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Cyron, B. M., Hutton, W. C., Troup, J. D. G.: Spondylolytic fractures. J. Bone Joint Surg. [Br.] 58, 462–466 (1976)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Cyron, B. M., Hutton, W. C., Stott, J. R. R.: Spondylolysis — the shearing stiffness of the lumbar intervertebral joint. Acta Orthop. Belg. 45, 459–469 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Davis, P. R.: Studies on the functional anatomy of the human vertebral column with special reference to the thoracic and lumbar regions. PhD Thesis, University of London 1958

  8. Farfan, H. F.: Mechanical Disorders of the low back. Lea & Febiger 1973 Philadelphia 1973

    Google Scholar 

  9. Hutton, W. C., Cyron, B. M.: Spondylolithesis — the creep properties of the lumbar intervertebral disc. A paper presented at a conference on Engineering aspects of the Spine. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, May 1980

  10. Hutton, W. C., Cyron, B. M., Stott, J. R. R.: The compressive strength of lumbar vertebrae. J. Anat. 129, 753–758 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Hutton, W. C., Stott, J. R. R., Cyron, B. M.: Is spondylolysis a fatigue fracture? Spine 2, 202–209 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Lindblom, K.: Intervertebral disc degeneration considered as a pressure atrophy. J. Bone Joint Surg. [Am.] 39, 933–945 (1957)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Nachemson, A.: Lumbar intradiscal pressure. Experimental studies on post-mortem material. Acta Orthop. Scand. (Suppl.) 43 (1960)

  14. Nachemson, A. L., Evans, J. H.: Some mechanical properties of the third human lumbar interlaminar ligament (ligamentum flavum). J. Biomech. 1, 211–220 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Newman, P. H.: The etiology of spondylolisthesis. J. Bone Joint Surg. [Br.] 45, 39–59 (1963)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Cyron, B.M., Hutton, W.C. The behaviour of the lumbar intervertebral disc under repetitive forces. International Orthopaedics 5, 203–207 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00266684

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00266684

Key words

Navigation