Pressures in the nucleus pulposus and under the annulus fibrosus have been measured, using the specially developed miniature pressure transducers when the vertebral segment was subjected to physiological loading. Stress-relaxation of the spinal disc was also measured. Results show that pressures are linear with loading. Pressure variations within the nucleus are due to disc degeneration. The point at which facet joint loading begins has also been pinpointed out by these experiments.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
GalanteJ. O. (1967) Tensile properties of the human lumbar annulus fibrous, Acta orthop. scand., Suppl., 100.
RanuH. S. (1975) Effects of ionizing radiation on the mechanical properties of skin, PhD thesis, CNAA, London.
4.
RanuH. S. (1979) The mechanical and structural response of skin to irradiation, J. Biomech., 12, 601–608.
5.
RanuH. S. (1981) Effects of fractionated doses of X-irradiation on the mechanical properties of skin: A long-term study, in Bioengineering and skin (edited by MarksR.PayneP. A.) MTP Press, Boston, pp. 15–21.
6.
RanuH. S.DentonR. A.KingA. I. (1979) Pressure distribution under an intervertebral disc – an experimental study, J. Biomech., 12, 807–812.
7.
RanuH. S.KingA. I. (1980) Correlation of intradiscal pressure with vertebral endplate pressure, Engineering Aspects of the SpineIMechE., London, pp. 37–42.
