Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Trauma and degeneration of cervical vertebrae can make cervical vertebra loses stability. That need the operation treatment, and sometimes need removal of the small joint. There are few studies on evaluation of the creep characteristics after separate resection of small joint at present. 
OBJECTIVE: To compare normal cervical samples with the removal of cervical C5-6 facet joint stress relaxation of the creep mechanical properties, to determine whether the removal of the facet joint have an impact on stress relaxation properties.
METHODS: Creep test on the removal of the normal facet joint specimens and the normal specimens was done on Japan shimadzu electronic universal testing aircraft. Temperature of human body on (36.5±0.5) ℃ in temperature field was simulated, stress on specimens by the speed of 5%/s was imposed, the time for 7 200 s was set. Creep equation from 100 data was calculated by three-parameter model.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The creep curve of normal specimens and the removal of the cervical facet joint were changed by the index relationship. It changed rapidly in the initial 600 s. With the extension of the time, the strain decline into the final phase of the balance slowly. The creep had no significant difference between the normal specimens and the removal of the cervical facet joint specimens in 7 200 s (P < 0.05). The calculation of the three-parameter model is simple, can be good fit changes in the strain curve. From this ideal equation, quantitative differences between the two groups are not significant.