Spine

The spine is an important part of the human supporting apparatus and locomotor system, and thus has mainly mechanical functions. The lumbar part of the spine is most loaded and next to the cervical spine subject to the most frequent surgeries at the spine. There are quite a lot of surgical procedures and implant types but not all of them guarantee the same benefit for the patient. Often this is due to a lack of information on the spinal biomechanics.

Spinal research has its main focus in the determination of loads and in simulating of mechanical situations after surgical procedures with the aim to improve procedures and implants. Instrumented implants were developed to measure the loads, and validated computer models (finite element models) allow the mechanical analysis of the intact spine as well as the situation after surgery.