Abstract
Cauda equina nerves start at the spinal cord end of which shape is conical, and go down in the spinal canal. Cauda equina syndrome, which is one of a degenerative disease, occurs around spinal cord cone because of a herniated disc or vertebral fracture. However, the pathogenic mechanism is unknown still now. In order to elucidate this mechanism, FEM simulation technique is required. In this research, we performed tensile tests to the cauda equina nerve to obtain the basic material properties which is needed in FEM simulation. The samples were taken from fresh pig spine, the tensile loading was applied to samples at a strain rate ε^.= 0.01 - 10 [s^<-1>]. In each specimen, in the earlier loading process stresses gradually increase as other kinds of biological soft tissues. And, stresses rapidly decrease just after a peak. Tensile strength is relatively smaller in higher strain rate. The maximum value of tensile strength was 0.78〜4MPa in this study.
