In general, engineering stability pertains to a system’s ability to restore itself and maintain its initial state when perturbed. In essence, the ability of the musculoskeletal system to perform its normal functions relies on its capability to maintain an upright structure, commonly known as ‘Spinal Stability’. Such incurred costs develop from the challenges present in the accurate assessments of LBP as a result of the broadness of its most common defined cause, sustaining both, mechanical and clinical instabilities 7, 8, 9. In industrialized societies, such as Canada and the United States, medical expenditures and consequential losses spiral up to $50 Billion USD annually 5, 6. Given the simulation’s accuracy, confirmed by its validation tests, the developed model may serve as a reliable spinal assessment tool.Ĭhronic Low Back Pain (LBP) prevails as a burdensome restrictive condition given its persistent apparent socioeconomic repercussions 1, 2, 3, 4. The developed state-of-the-art model includes most physiological tissues known to contribute to spinal loadings. Under forward flexion, vertical vertebral displacements simulated a 6% and 13% maximum discrepancy for intra-abdominal and intramuscular pressure results, all closely resembling previously documented in silico measured values. Under an increasing angular displacement of 24°–41°, the lumbar spine recorded an increasing moment from 5.5 to 9.3 Nm with an increase in IVD pressures from 0.41 to 0.66 MPa. A comprehensive set of indirect validation tests were carried out to validate every aspect of the model.

A comprehensive model comprised of 273 tissues was developed via a novel FE meshing method to enhance computational feasibility. Thus, the purpose of this research was to develop and validate a comprehensive and representative spine FE model inclusive of an accurate representation of all major torso elements. However, justified simplifications, in terms of tissue decomposition and inclusion, for such a complex system may overlook crucial information. Numerous spine Finite Element (FE) models have been developed to assess spinal tolerances, spinal loadings and low back pain-related issues.

Human spine