Intraspinal Stress and Syringomyelia

Abstract

The formation of syringomyelia is caused by some mechanical factors. In Chiari type I malformation, it is observed that the flow of cerebrospinal fluid is blocked by a herniated cerebellar tonsil. However, the influence of the blockade by the hernia on the spinal cord is not clarified. In this study, we examine the stress state in the spinal cord when it is deformed in certain bending modes:one state is that caused by a certain load and the other state is that of free vibration. Through numerical examples by FEM (finite element method), we consider the relationship among the impediment in the flaw of cerebrospinal fluid, the stress distribution and the location of syringomyelia.