title: Structural analysis for the forces in the human spinal column and its musculature.
abstract: A method of structural analysis is proposed for a model of the thoracic and lumbar spine which involves body weight, external load, muscle forces, intervertebral reactions and disc and ligament elasticity. The procedure consists of three phases: (i) for an initial position the equations of equilibrium are solved using a linear programming technique which minimizes the total force in the system and produces intervertebral reactions and muscle forces, (ii) for an incremental change in configuration a structural analysis is performed to obtain a further set of intervertebral reactions, (iii) with the net values of intervertebral reactions, from combining the results of the previous two phases, a further application of the linear programming technique is made to obtain the muscle forces in the deformed positions. The results are presented for a subject, in a single step of forward flexion.
mesh_terms: D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D003201:Computers; D004548:Elasticity; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000502:physiology; D008022:Ligaments / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D013131:Spine / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical