Papers Published

1. Nightingale, Roger W. and Armstrong, Andrew J. and Camacho, Daniel L. and Myers, Barry S., Cervical spine buckling: The effects of vertebral mass and loading rate, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Bioengineering Division (Publication) BED, vol. 36 (1997), pp. 231 - 232 .
   (last updated on 2007/04/16)

   Abstract:
   The role played by the inertial properties of the vertebral bodies in determining cervical spine buckling during compressive impact loading is studied. For small masses, the inertia of the column segments is small relative to the elastic torques exerted by the joints, and the column deforms in such a way as to minimize the total elastic energy in the rotational springs. As the mass increases, the inertial forces of the segments become more significant and the column deforms in a way which minimizes the lateral segmental velocities and the total kinetic energy. As the vertebrae arrive at the new equilibrium position, the inertial loads decay and the system seeks out the next lower equilibrium position.

   Keywords:
   Bone;Buckling;Deformation;Kinematics;Torque;Joints (anatomy);