108
C/in. Biomech.
1987; 2: No 2
highest effective stresses were found in the centre of bony end-plates. For degenerated discs, they were found in the lateral aspects of the end-plates, in the cortical wall, and also in the vertebral body rims. However, regardless of the disc condition, the highest effective stresses do not occupy the whole thickness of the endplate and/or the cortical wall, but are concentrated near the spongy core. Ways of load transmission through the lumbar vertebral body and modes of eventual damage to it are also strongly influenced by the disc condition. Kurowski
P, Kubo A. Spine 1986; 11: 726-31
Partitioning of the L4-L5 dynamic moment into disc, ligamentous, and muscular components during lifting 1986 Volvo Award in Biomechanics This work describes a dynamic model of the low back that incorporates extensive anatomical detail of a three-dimensional musculo-ligamentous-skeletal system. The reactive moment about L4-L.5, determined from sagittal plane lifts. was partitioned into restorative components provided by the disc in bending. ligament strain. and active muscle contraction. Skeletal kinematics were obtained from the tine analysis of markers on the rib cage and pelvis. The musculature was driven from surface EMG collected from six sites. When compared with past models. features of this model included (1) improved anatomical modelling, (2) improved monitoring of vertebral motion unit kinematics. (3) improved estimation of neural activation of the musculature. and (4) consideration of the effects of muscle length. velocity. cross-sectional area and passive elasticity in force estimation. Estimations of L4-L5 disc compression and shear were. on average. 16.2% and 42.5% lower. respectively. than those calculated from a simple 5 cm erector tissue moment arm length. There was no need to invoke intro-abdominal pressure or other contentious compression-reducing mechanisms. Muscle activity. particularly that of the sacrospinalis. dominated the generation of the restorative moment. Ligaments played a very minor role in the lifts studied. High muscle loads arc conGstent with the common clinical observation of muscle str;rin often produced by load handling. McGill
SM. Norman
KW.
Spine I!NO:
I I: hh&7S
An in vitro simulation study of impulsive force transmission along the lower skeletal extremity Several investigators have revealed that a relationship exists between articular cartilage deterioration and the mechanical stress that results from transient impulsive forces created in the lower extremity during gait. This study is an investigation of the transmission of impulse waves through the lower extremity and the effect of knee pathology and prosthetic knee replacement on their transmission. An in vitro experiment is performed using human cadaver specimens that are instrumented with accelerometers. The distal end of the tibia is impacted with a vibration shaker to simulate heel strike. The results indicate that the normal knee joint is able to attenuate 59% of the transient peak force applied to it by the tibia. This attenuation capacity is reduced by knee pathology and decreases further with implantation of a knee prosthesis. The results indicate that abnormalities at the knee may increase the risk of degenerative changes at the ankle. hip and in the spine due to increased transient impulsive forces. Chu ML. Yazdani-Ardakani J Biomech 1986; 19: 97%87
S. Gradisar
IA.
Askew
MJ.
Centrode patterns in the lumbar spine. Baseline studies in normal subjects Segmental spinal instability is a known cause of back pain. but no method of accurately quantifying instability exists. The movement of complex joints with rotational and translational components (such as the lumbar motion segment) is tracked by a pathway of instantaneous centres of rotation, or a centrode. Instability, ie. excessive and/or erratic movement, is reflected by increased centrode length in cadaver studies. This study describes an an I~~VOmethod that precisely determines the centrode pattern and reports the results for 21 normal male volunteers who were studied at the L4--5 and L5-Sl levels. Each volunteer underwent lateral radiographs of the lumbar spine. High speed films were used and six positions. from full extension to full flexion, were recorded. Acetate tracing! and contour matching techniques recorded the relative posltions of the vertebral bodies on each film. Multiple tracings of each radiograph. combined with a digitizer and computer. were used to improve precision in the calculated centrode patterns. Centrode lengths measured .43.7 mm and 55.9 mm, respectively. for the L-!-5 and L.541 levels. This study demonstrates that precise centrode pattern analysis for sagittal plane motion of the lumbar spine is posstble in tV\*o. Studies are under way to determine whether this technique will be useful as a clinical test in diagnosing early segmental instability of the lumbar spine in patients with low-back pain. Ogs~~i NG. King J. Gertzbein SD. Tile Xl. liap;ls~~uri A. Rubenstein JD. Spine I’#(~: I I: 59-05
A model of the human triceps surae muscle-tendon complex applied to jumping The purpose of this study was to gain more insight into the behavior of the muscle-tendon comples of human m. triceps surae in jumping. During one-lr gpcd vertical ,jumps of ten :;ubiects ground reaction forces ab well as cinematographic data were registered. and clcctromyograms were recorded from m. soleus and m. gastrocnemius. A model was developed of m. triccpa suriic. incorpor;lting assumptions concernins dimensions. ;trchitecturc. force-length and force-velocity rcl;ltlonahip of muscle libcrs. as well as ;tksumptionz concerning dimensions and elastic behavior of tcndiric)u\ t1\5uc III \cric’\ \\,ltli Ilic niii\cIc libcrs. The \.slocitk with which origin ;tpproache\ insertion ( V,,,) was calculated for m. soleus and III. gastrocnemius using cinc film data. and scrvetl ;I’\ input of the motkl. l)iIrins tlic l;1\1 prt 01 the pu4li-ott +I\C LiM<;-lcvcls wcrc found IO IX more’ or Ic4 cc)ii\t;~ill. \‘,,, of Ill. \~~11’11!, ;1nd Ill. g:istrocneniiu\ rapidly incre;c5cd. and the plantar flexing moment obtained by solving equations concerning ;I free body diagram of the foot calculated with help of the model by estimated moment arm at the ankle. As ;I result of the decline of exerted force tendon IenFth decreahclr. According to the model the shortening velocity of tendon rcachcs higher values than that of muscle fihres. The results of ;I kinetic analysis demonstrate that during the last part of the push-off phase a combination of high angular velocities with relatively large plantar tlexing moments IS required. It is concluded that without a compliant tendon m. triceps surae would not be able to satisfy this requirement. Bohbcrt MF. lluijing I ‘Nh: I’): ss7-0s
PA. VOII Ingcn Schcnau <;J. .I Biomcch
lntensitv and character of pain and muscular activity levels elicited by maintained extreme flexion position of the lower-cervical-upper-thoracic spine The aim of this study was to find out whether
maintained