Host: The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers
Name : [in Japanese]
Date : September 11, 2022 - September 14, 2022
The ossification of ligaments causes chronic compression of the blood vessels surrounding the spinal cord. The purpose of this study was to evaluate compression on anterior spinal artery by ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) using finite element analysis. The models were created from CT images. Finite element analyses were carried out for three positions to obtain the maximum stresses and stenosis of blood vessel for evaluating the compression by OPLL. The results show that the maximum stress has reached 0.11MPa due to OPLL in neutral position and decreased to 0.06MPa in flexion position and increased to 0.16MPa in extension positions, respectively. On the other hand, the cross-sectional area with OPLL was reduced by 37.02% from the cross-sectional area without OPLL in the neutral position, while the reduction rate of the cross-sectional area was 30.03% in flexion position and 52.90% for extension position. These results indicate that flexion and extension movements in daily life may increase vascular stenosis, therefor impair of blood flow, but flexion movement has a greater effect.
