Mechanical Behavior of Isolated Intervertebral Disc

F.F. Lemos1,2, J.E. Tomazini1, U.G. Oliveira1

1 Mechanics Department So Paulo State University Guaratinguet-SP BRAZIL
2 Physical Therapy Department Faculty of Pindamonhangaba Pindamonhangaba-SP BRAZIL
Abstract The study on several components of intervertebral
joints is essential to understand the spines degenerative
mechanisms and to assess the best method for their treatment.
For such study it is necessary to know the mechanical
properties of the isolated intervertebral disc (ID) mechanical
properties and, it is necessary to evaluate its stresses and
strains. In order to assess the ID displacements, a fine, Ushaped blade was developed, over which two extensometers
connected in a Wheatstone bridge were placed. The device was
then tested on porcine spine ID, where compression loads were
applied and the extremities displacements of the blade coupled
to the intervertebral disc were measured. Stress/strain
diagram, both on the compression and on the decompression
phases, evidencing the non-linear nature of such relationship.
With the experiment, it was possible to obtain approximate
values of the longitudinal elasticity module (E) of the disc
material and of the Poisson coefficient ( ). After several tests, E
results are compatible with those obtained by others studies,
with very simple and low-cost device. This experiments can be
used for obtained others mechanical properties of isolated ID
with precision and accuracy.
Keywords intervertebral disc, axial displacement,
compression, mechanical properties, porcine model.
I. INTRODUCTION

The most direct and reliable method to access the loads

on the spines segments is the intradiscal pressure
measurement, which has been initially described during the
60s by Nachemson and Elfstrom (1964) [1], using a
piezoelectric transducer coupled to a kind of needle. This
device is called pressure transducer and is the most widely
used in research involving intervertebral disc (ID), even
allowing in vitro studies, such as the ones made by Adams
and cols. [2,3] and also in vivo studies made by Wilke and
cols [4,5]. Unfortunately, this transducer has a high cost and
its no manufactured in Brazil.
In vitro studies can be used to evaluate the extension of
the damages which may be caused by forces on the spine
and the ID degeneration can be used to support the
mechanical base of lumbar spine pain [6]. The ID
degeneration has been, directly or indirectly, associated to
the back pain epidemics in middle age adults due to the
demand of loads located on the spine structures; mechanical

factors are the main suspicion for the disease acceleration in

this tissue [7].
In order to determine the stress on the spines tissues, it
is necessary to know the forces and moments acting on the
spine among the several load supporting structures,
including the ID, apophysary joints and intervertebral
ligaments [8].
Data on the ID mechanical properties are always
necessary for spines biomechanics studies. For these
studies, functional spine units were used, which consisted of
an ID and its adjacent vertebrae [9].
The instantaneous elasticity, balance and viscosity
modules are significantly larger on the nucleus than other
structures of spine, with different mechanical micro
properties, evidencing two distinct cellular populations [10]
and, consequently, different behavior between they.
The use of porcine models is justified by easiness of
acquisition, homogeneity of the segments compared to the
humans, reduction of the degeneration factor and HIV
infection risk when handling fresh human spines [11].
The purposes of this study are to develop a device
capable of isolated intervertebral disc displacement measure
and analyze their behavior.

II. MATERIALS AND METHODS

To obtain the ID axial displacement, an extensometry

blade was developed, with two electrical resistance strain
gages. The devices development started based on
calculations regarding the extremities dislocation arising
from the deformity when submitted to loads. Figure 1
illustrates the extensometry blade scheme with its geometric
parameters.
Displacement measurement can be made by two
extensometers (Kyowa, Tokyo, Japan) on the superior and
inferior faces of the blade (Figure 1), and joined on a half
Wheatstone bridge system.
The acquisition and data processing were made by an
amplifying, model Spider 8 (HBM, Darmstadt, Germany),
and a software, Catman 3.1 (HBM, Darmstadt, Germany).
Tests were made submitting the ID to a progressive
compressive loads increment, and then their removal. For

O. Dssel and W.C. Schlegel (Eds.): WC 2009, IFMBE Proceedings 25/IV, pp. 22232226, 2009.
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F.F. Lemos, J.E. Tomazini, and U.G. Oliveira

the data acquisition a bench was adapted with bars and

weights system, coupled to a load cell (Interface, So Paulo,
Brazil), with a reading capacity of up to 490,5N.
P

E1

E2
P

Fig. 1 Extensometry blade schematics model and its dimensions in

frequency of 50 Hz. This procedure was performed twice

and the averages were obtained in order to minimize errors.
Figure 2 illustrates the loading and unloading periods.
Eight porcine lumbar spine intervertebral discs were
used respecting the same procedures described in other
experiments [12], except for the procedure of isolating the
intervertebral disc, sawing the functional units on the
terminal cortical part of each adjacent vertebral body. In
order to preserve the intervertebral disc structures and
provide an even surface for the loads application, an acrylic
resin (methylmethacrylate) was used. This last procedure
was useful, also, on the extensometry blade fixation on
discs extremities.
Another important procedure aiming at preserving the ID
properties was that, after their preparation, they were
wrapped in plastic film, frozen and used within seven days.
Before their use, they were thawed with a saline solution at a
maximum temperature of 24C.
Before and after the tests, the height, anteroposterior and
transversal diameter of each disc were obtained with the
assistance of a digital vernier caliper (Mitotoyo, Tokyo,
Japan) with a sensitivity of 0.01mm.

millimeters.

Six loads were used, each one, the weight of 74.9 N.

Adding the load to the systems weight (19,3 N), the total
load was 469,3 N, in a period of 195 seconds (loading and
unloading).

III. RESULTS

Initially, we reported the effectiveness of the

extensometry blade developed, taking into account its
reading sensitivity and operational easiness.
The ID dimensions did not present significant variations
showed by the low standard deviations. Table 1 shows the
measurements obtained before and after the tests.
Table 1

Fig. 2 Demonstrative graph of the relationship between the compression

and decompression period and loads applied

The load and unload time for each weight was 15s,
guided by the computer program. From this period, the 2.5
initial and final seconds were excluded so the load and
unload phases did not influence the measure. Summarizing,
the displacements readings were regarding the 10
intermediary seconds of each load with a data acquisition

Hi
DAPi
DAPf
[mm]
[mm]
[mm]
Disc 01
9,5
24,0
24,4
Disc 02
10,0
24,0
24,2
Disc 03
9,8
22,0
22,0
Disc 04
11,8
24,0
24,4
Disc 05
8,9
20,6
20,7
Disc 06
9,9
23,3
23,6
Disc 07
11,2
23,4
23,9
Disc 08
9,6
21,1
21,1
Average
10,1
22,8
23,0
(sd)
(0,9)
(1,3)
(1,5)
Hi initial height;
DAPi initial anteroposterior diameter;
DAPf final anteroposterior diameter;
DTi initial transversal diameter;
DTf final transversal diameter;
A Superficial area.

DTi
[mm]
35,0
39,0
39,9
35,1
37,3
33,8
35,0
35,9
36,4
(2,1)

DTf
[mm]
35,6
39,5
40,0
35,6
37,7
34,0
35,0
36,0
36,7
(2,1)

A
[mmx10]
6,59
7,34
6,89
6,63
6,04
6,21
6,43
5,95
6,51
(0,45)

Using the data presented on Table 1 and the deformity

readings obtained by the extensometry, regarding stress-

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Mechanical Behavior of Isolated Intervertebral Disc

2225

strain diagram under compression and decompression were

plotted (Figures 3 and 4), respectively, and consequently,
the intervertebral discs average mechanical properties
calculation, also under compression and decompression.

Based on the diagram on Figure 3, the mean longitudinal

elasticity module under compression found was 5.9 MPa,
and through the other measurements one can estimate the
antero-lateral and transversal Poisson coefficient ( ), which
are equal to 0.43 and 0.34, respectively.

0.7

0.7

0.6

0.6
0.5

0.4

Normal Stress [MPa]

Normal Stress [MPa]

0.5

Exprimental points
Polynomial Fit (Grade 2)
2
Y =-0.01009-1.08841 X+57.89719 X
R=0,991

0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
-0.1
-0.02

0.4

Compression

0.3
Decompression
0.2
0.1
0.0

0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.14

Strain [mm/mm]

-0.1
0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.14

Strain [mm/mm]

Fig. 3 Tension-specific deformity under compression diagram (r = 0.991 and

p < 0.001)

The non-linear character of the ID was evident when it

was submitted to mechanical assays when experimental
points were approximated through the second degree
polynomial, obtaining correlation rates very close to 1 and
p<0.001 values.

Fig.

5 Average behavior of the disks during the whole compression and

decompression cycle.

The mean Longitudinal Elasticity Module found for the

decompression period was equals to 12.4 MPa.
Figure 5 shows the average behavior of the ID during the
whole compression and decompression cycle.

IV. DISCUSSION

0.7
0.6

Normal Stress [MPa]

0.5

Experimental points
Polynomial Fit (Grade 2)
2
Y =1.18467-34.15654 X+247.59794 X
R=0.99863

0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

Strain [mm/mm]

Fig. 4 Tension-specific deformity under decompression diagram (r = 0.998

and p < 0.001).

The mechanical properties obtained are within amplitude

of values showed on diverse studies [13,14,15,16].
Experimental study [17] founded values close to
equals to 0.37 and E equals to 4.2 MPa, while in other
study [18], used the value of equals to 0.35 to simulate
the ID elements on a mathematical model. These values
were similar to the ones found in our study becoming the
average between the transversal and anteroposterior.
The acquisition of the Poisson coefficient was possible,
once the intervertebral disc is a viscoelastic material and its
deformity is maintained immediately after unloading.
Works conducted through the isolation of the ID of other
spine structures are used when one wants to study the disc
components separately [19]. In our study, the mechanical
properties of intervertebral disc were considered how their
components functioning together (annulus fibrosus,

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F.F. Lemos, J.E. Tomazini, and U.G. Oliveira

nucleous pulposus and cartilaginous endplate), simulating

what happened in a real in vivo situations.
To analyzing the efficiency of extensometry blade to
mechanical properties acquisition will be necessary to
compare with the data obtained using the needle intradiscal
pressure transducer, because in our study numerical
parameters were calculate based in axial deformation
generated by applied axial loads; differently, in another case,
this same numerical parameters were calculated based in
intradiscal pressure, that demonstrated in experimental
studies that the pressure is the same in any independent
direction [20,21].
Degeneration graduation of the ID used in this study was
not measured by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance in virtue of
high cost, but after all procedures, the ID were dissected and
the nucleus pulposus dehidratation analyzing. In all
specimens the hidratation level was satisfactory for post
loads tasks, following macroscopic degeneration level [22].
Standard deviation was not showed in the results graphs
for not confusing intervertebral disc behavior observation,
but their levels staying inside statistical needs, except in the
each phases end of experiment. This can be explained by the
triple tasks, the low sample and the laxity of spine soft
tissues [23].
Reviewing the ID behavior, a typical behavior of a
viscoelastic material can be observed. The value regarding
the longitudinal elasticity module under compression
showed to be similar to the pre-existing studies, showing the
trustworthiness and effectiveness of the device developed,
and even if performed on an approximate basis, i.e., a
simulation, the Poisson Coefficient value ( ) showed to be
coherent with the materials properties and with the few
studies existent.

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V. CONCLUSIONS

17.

However, with the adapted blades dimensions, it can be

an essential tool for studies whom needs a sensible
displacement measure, helping on the knowledge of ID
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
22.

To the Unesp-FEG Post-Graduation Section and to

CAPES.

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