Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Hyperextension is widely used to treat thoracolumbar spine compression fracture in clinical orthopedics by doctors of traditional Chinese medicine, but the research about the biomechanics is inadequate.
OBJECTIVE: To probe the treatment mechanisms of thoracolumbar spine compression fracture by hyperextension based on finite element method.
METHODS: A three-dimensional (3D) finite element model of compression fracture of T12 was established based on the 210-layer consecutive CT DICOM3.0 format images from one patient of compression fracture of T12. The effective of model was proved by simulating the hyperextension. The lower of T12 was bounded, a vertical traction at the top of T11 was imposed and a 3 cm-displacement toward the vertebral by three steps at the top of spinous process of T11, T12 and L1 was performed. The computing result about the shape and the stress of the model after the procedure computing were read.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A realistic appearance and full biomechanical properties 3D finite element model of thoracolumbar spine compression fracture was established. The shape of the compressed vertebrae was over extension by hyperextension. The treatment mechanisms were same as the research result of traditional experimental study on biomechanics. The method that study on mechanism of traditional practices by FEM is provided with many advantages, such as the experimental results are more reliable, showing the results intuitively, saving resources and simulating the practices accurately. The method may be applied comprehensively about fracture treatment mechanisms by manual reduction.