[Development and verification of a 3-dimensional finite element model of the human neck based on CT images].
OBJECTIVE
To establish a 3-dimensional finite element model.


METHODS
The coordinate data of the vertebras were obtained from the CT scan images of Chinese 50th percentile healthy male adult volunteers' cervical spine, converted into point cloud data, and stored as ASCII file using Mimics software. CATIA software was used to preprocess and Geomagic software was used to establish the geometry model of the C0 approximately C7 cervical spine. The geometry model was meshed by Hypermesh software. Mapped mesh method was used to mesh cortical bone, trabecular bone, intervertebral disk, ligaments, etc. Some material parameters were defined from other available material parameters using proportion and function scale method.


RESULTS
The model had 22 512 solid elements and 14 180 shell/membrane elements. The model was validated by the cervical spine drop test.


CONCLUSIONS
The model has good biofidelity and can be used to study the dynamic response and injury mechanism of the cervical spine in the car accidents.
Department of Spine Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Chang
C
Lu
Ke
K
Han
Jing
J
Li
Bing
B
Wang
Guo-hua
GH
Lu
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D020342:Finite Element Analysis; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed