Finite Element Modeling and Simulation of Healthy and Degenerated Human Lumbar Spine

Abstract

Numerical analyses are able to simulate processes in their progress that are impossible to measure experimentally, like aging and spinal degeneration processes. 3D finite element (FE) simulations of age-related and sudden degeneration processes of compression-loaded human lumbar spinal segments and their weightbath hydrotraction treatment are presented here. The goal is to determine the effect of the main mechanical degeneration parameters on the deformation and stress state of the lumbar functional spinal units (FSU) during longand short-term degeneration processes. Moreover, numerical analysis of the effect of the special underwater traction method, the so-called weightbath hydrotraction therapy (WHT) for treating degenerated lumbar segments is also presented in this chapter.