Experimental characterization and biomechanical modeling of soft tissues of the spine for multiple dynamic applications

人体脊柱是人体最显著的机械结构之一。它有三个基本功能：将上身的重量转移到骨盆，为躯干提供灵活性，并保护脊髓免受潜在的破坏力和运动。** 计算工具（如有限元模型或FEM）提供了一个关键的解决方案，以研究脊柱的复杂生物力学，并在运动，健康和安全以及医学领域设计新颖的保护和医疗设备。尽管科学界在过去几十年中进行了大量的工作，但在动态情况下开发脊柱的生物力学模型仍然是一项艰巨的任务，因此限制了它们的使用。例如，建模脊柱的软组织（椎间盘、韧带和软骨终板）由于其复杂的结构和机械响应而带来许多挑战。此外，老化和退化通过显著改变这些生物系统的几何形状和材料特性而进一步增加了建模过程的复杂性。** 本发现资助提案的总体目标是提高脊柱生物力学的基础知识，并开发和利用高端生物工程工具，模拟动态载荷条件下脊柱正常和退化软组织的力学行为。这将通过以下方式实现：1）在动态载荷条件下，在宽范围内表征正常和退化脊柱软组织的力学行为，直至失效; 2）开发和改进脊柱的多尺度有限元模型，该模型集成了先前评估的力学行为; 3）使用在动态载荷条件下进行的新实验验证有限元模型;以及4）使用有限元模型和实验方法来支持体育，健康和安全以及医学领域的临床和行业相关应用的开发和评估。** 在包括加拿大和法国机构在内的脊柱损伤和病理学生物力学国际联合实验室内进行，这一多学科研究计划将为可能导致真实的突破的原创和创新研究奠定坚实的基础。脊柱由于其作用和脆弱性而不断受到越来越多的关注。事实上，对加拿大的预期影响是多方面的：培训高素质的人才，在蓬勃发展的领域开发尖端技术，向行业转让技术，国际知名度，健康改善和所有相关的经济效益。 **

The human spine is one of the most remarkable mechanical structures of the body. It has three fundamental functions: to transfer the weight of the upper body to the pelvis, to provide flexibility to the trunk and to protect the spinal cord from potentially damaging forces and motions. ******Computational tools (such as finite element models or FEMs) offer a key solution to investigate the complex biomechanics of the spine and to design novel protection and medical devices in the fields of sports, health and security and medicine. Despite an astounding amount of work performed by the scientific community in the last decades, the development of biofidelic models of the spine in dynamic situations remains a difficult task to achieve, thus limiting their use. For instance, modeling the soft tissues of the spine (intervertebral discs, ligaments and cartilaginous endplates) poses many challenges due to their complex structures and mechanical responses. Moreover, aging and degeneration add further complexity to the modeling process by significantly altering the geometry and the material properties of these biological systems. ******The general objectives of this Discovery grant proposal is to improve fundamental knowledge on spine biomechanics and to develop and leverage high-end bioengineering tools that simulate the mechanical behavior of the normal and degenerated soft tissues of the spine under dynamic loading conditions. This will be achieved by 1) characterizing the mechanical behavior of normal and degenerated spinal soft tissues over a wide range of scale, under dynamic loading conditions, up to failure; 2) developing and refining multi-scale FEMs of the spine that integrate the mechanical behavior previously assess; 3) validating the FEMs using novel experiments performed in dynamic loading conditions; and 4) use the FEMs and experimental methods to support the development and evaluation of clinically- and industry-related applications in the fields of sports, health and security and medicine. ******Performed within the International Associated Laboratory on Biomechanics of Spine Injuries and Pathologies which includes Canadian and French institutions, this multidisciplinary research program will lay the solid foundation for an original and innovative research that could lead to real breakthroughs. The spine continuously deserves increasing attention because of its role and fragility. Indeed, anticipated impacts for Canada are numerous: training of highly qualified people, development of cutting-edge technologies in booming fields, technology transfer to the industry, international visibility, health improvement and all related economic benefits. **