• O Izambert, D Mitton, M Thourot, and F Lavaste.
• Laboratoire de Biomécanique, ENSAM-CNRS, 151 boulevard de l'Hôpital, 75013 Paris, France. olivier.izambert@wanadoo.fr
• Eur Spine J. 2003 Dec 1; 12 (6): 562566562-6.

AbstractThe aim of this study was to analyse the dynamic response of the human intervertebral disc to vibration in a physiologically relevant frequency spectrum. Eight lumbar intervertebral discs were harvested. After preparation, each sample was subjected to a pre-loading and then dynamic compression (from 5 to 30 Hz). The dynamic compression was applied using an experimental set-up comprising a free weight loading from above and a driving oscillatory displacement from below (closest to the in vivo loading). A viscoelastic model enabled the calculation of stiffness and damping from the transfer function. From 5 Hz to 30 Hz the stiffness values are between 0.19 and 3.66 (MN/m) and the damping values between 32 and 2094 (Ns/m). The mean resonant frequency was found at 8.7 Hz. These dynamic characteristics of the intervertebral disc could be used in a three-dimensional finite elements model of the human body to study its response to vibration in the driving position.

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