Spinal Cord Mechanical Properties

Abstract

Knowledge of the mechanical properties of the spinal cord is useful for understanding spinal cord injury mechanisms and thresholds and developing realistic spinal cord models (for example, computer models for spinal cord injury or surgical simulations). The response of the spinal cord to mechanical loading has been studied under tension and compressive indentation, and its’ behaviour has been shown to be non-linear viscoelastic. This chapter discusses testing modes that have been used to study spinal cord mechanical behaviour, presents a summary of reported mechanical properties of the spinal cord, including some mechanical testing data and constitutive model parameters, and discusses the effects of various specimen and experimental conditions on the mechanical behaviour of the spinal cord. Areas for future research and refinement of testing protocols are also presented.