Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Loads on a spinal implant measured in vivo during whole-body vibration

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Spine Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

After spinal surgery, patients often want to know whether driving a car or using public transportation can be dangerous for their spine. In order to answer this question, a clinically proven vertebral body replacement (VBR) has been modified. Six load sensors and a telemetry unit were integrated into the inductively powered implant. The modified implant allows the measurement of six load components. Telemeterized devices were implanted in five patients; four of them agreed to exposure themselves to whole-body vibration. During the measurements, the patients sat on a driver seat fixed to a hexapod. They were exposed to random single-axis vibrations in X, Y, and Z directions as well as in multi-axis XYZ directions with frequencies between 0.3 and 30 Hz. Three intensity levels (unweighted root mean square values of 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 m/s2) were applied. Three postures were studied: sitting freely, using a vertical backrest, and a backrest declined by an angle of 25°. The patients held their hands on their thighs. As expected, the maximum force on the VBR increased with increasing intensity and the number of axes. For the highest intensity level and multi-axis vibration, the maximum forces increased by 89% compared to sitting relaxed. Leaning at the backrest as well as lower intensity levels markedly decreased the implant loads. Driving a car or using public transportation systems—when the patient leans towards the backrest—leads to lower implant loads than walking, and can therefore be allowed already shortly after surgery.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bovenzi M, Hulshof CT (1999) An updated review of epidemiologic studies on the relationship between exposure to whole-body vibration and low back pain (1986–1997). Int Arch Occup Environ Health 72:351–365

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Lings S, Leboeuf-Yde C (2000) Whole-body vibration and low back pain: a systematic, critical review of the epidemiological literature 1992–1999. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 73:290–297

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Seidel H (1993) Selected health risks caused by long-term, whole-body vibration. Am J Ind Med 23:589–604

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. International Standard Organization for Standardization ISO 2631-1 (1997) Mechanical vibration and shock—evaluation of human exposure to whole-body vibration—Part 1: general requirements

  5. International Standard Organization for Standardization ISO 2631-1 (2004) Mechanical vibration and shock—evaluation of human exposure to whole-body vibration—Part 5: methods for evaluation of vibration containing multiple shocks

  6. Seidel H (2005) On the relationship between whole-body vibration exposure and spinal health risk. Ind Health 43:361–377

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Seidel H, Bluthner R, Hinz B (2001) Application of finite-element models to predict forces acting on the lumbar spine during whole-body vibration. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 16:S57–S63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Hinz B, Seidel H, Hofmann J, Menzel G (2008) The significance of using anthropometric parameters and postures of European drivers as a database for finite-element models when calculating spinal forces during whole-body vibration exposure. Int J Ind Erg 38:816–843

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Seidel H, Pöpplau BM, Morlock MM, Püschel K, Huber G (2008) The size of lumbar vertebral endplate areas—prediction by anthopometric characteristics and significance for fatigue failure due to whole-body vibration. Int J Ind Erg 38:844–855

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Bozhuizen HC, Bongers PM, Hulshof CTJ (1990) Whole-body vibration and back disorders: a meta-analysis. In: Bongers PM, Boshuizen HC (eds) Back disorders and whole-body vibration at work. Free University, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  11. Seidel H, Heide R (1986) Long-term effects of whole-body vibration: a critical survey of the literature. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 58:1–26

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hulshof C, van Zanten BV (1987) Whole-body vibration and low-back pain. A review of epidemiologic studies. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 59:205–220

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Seidel H, Hinz B, Hofmann J, Menzel G (2008) Intraspinal forces and health risk caused by whole-body vibration—predictions for European drivers and different field conditions. Int J Ind Erg 38:856–867

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Christ E, Fischer S, Kaulbars U, Sayn D (2006) Effects of vibration at workplaces—values of hand-arm- and whole-body vibration loads. HVBG BIA-Report 6:68–69

    Google Scholar 

  15. Rohlmann A, Gabel U, Graichen F, Bender A, Bergmann G (2007) An instrumented implant for vertebral body replacement that measures loads in the anterior spinal column. Med Eng Phys 29:580–585

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. International Standard Organization for Standardization ISO 13090-1 (1998) Mechanical vibration and shock—guidance on safety aspects of tests and experiments with people—Part 1: exposure to whole-body vibration and shock

  17. Wilke H-J, Neef P, Hinz B, Seidel H, Claes L (2001) Intradiscal pressure together with anthropometric data—a data set for the validation of models. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 16:S111–S126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Rohlmann A, Arntz U, Graichen F, Bergmann G (2001) Loads on an internal spinal fixation device during sitting. J Biomech 34:989–993

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Rohlmann A, Zander T, Bergmann G (2006) Effects of fusion-bone stiffness on the mechanical behavior of the lumbar spine after vertebral body replacement. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 21:221–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Zander T, Bergmann G, Rohlmann A (2009) Large sizes of vertebral body replacement do not reduce the contact pressure on adjacent vertebral bodies per se. Med Eng Phys 31:1307–1312

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn, Germany (Ro 581/18-1). The authors greatly appreciate the friendly cooperation of their patients. They thank Dr. A. Bender, M. Kunze, J. Dymke, L. Gericke, Dr. M. Schust, J. Thiel for technical assistance and Dr. U. Weber, Dr. Ch. Heyde and R. Kayser for their medical support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Julius Wolff Institut, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany

    Antonius Rohlmann, Friedmar Graichen & Georg Bergmann

  2. Unit 3.2 Experimental Research on Occupational Health, Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Nöldnerstr. 40-42, 10317, Berlin, Germany

    Barbara Hinz & Ralph Blüthner

Authors
  1. Antonius Rohlmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Barbara Hinz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ralph Blüthner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Friedmar Graichen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Georg Bergmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonius Rohlmann.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rohlmann, A., Hinz, B., Blüthner, R. et al. Loads on a spinal implant measured in vivo during whole-body vibration. Eur Spine J 19, 1129–1135 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-010-1346-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-010-1346-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation