Abstract
Identification of spine tolerances has typically involved the complete destruction of functional spinal units in order to confirm an endplate fracture. A new method of identifying endplate fractures utilizing the measurement of acceleration response through accelerometers mounted to the functional spinal unit was tested on porcine spines. Functional spinal units were mechanically tested to failure using a cyclic loading protocol modeled after the expected loading during a lifting task. Over 80% of the segments had visible endplate fractures upon dissection. Trends in acceleration profiles revealed increased accelerations when specimens failed, with more pronounced trends in the specimens that had visible cracks after dissection. While further analysis is necessary, the results do point to some level of shift in the biomechanical responses within the vertebral body meaning the methodology may have the potential to identify endplate structural breakdown prior to ultimate failure.
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