Probing fundamental mechanics of the spine: Normal and injury mechanics

腰背和颈椎疼痛和损伤是加拿大人的主要费用。脊柱是一个非常复杂的神经、肌肉和骨骼系统。然而，它在最佳机械载荷下茁壮成长，因此当机械载荷太多或太少时，它就会变得痛苦和失灵。这项工作的重点是了解脊柱和相关组织的生物力学功能，并以此为基础，最终开发出更好的疼痛预防和康复方法。例如，我们破译损伤机制的工作表明，椎间盘膨出和突出有明显的机械原因(重复和延长的屈曲)，这可以证明开发预防方法是合理的。在NSERC资助的过去25年中，已经开发出一个非常详细的胸腰椎解剖模型，该模型利用每个受试者的运动和肌肉激活的生物信号。通过这种方式，对每个个体的策略在组织应力分布和结构稳定性方面的后果获得了独特的见解。在下一笔赠款的任期内，主要的推力包括增加一个颈椎和一个带有髋部的骨盆，以从整个脊柱/骨盆的角度探索基本的功能机制。例如，我们期待着有关局部脊柱力学如何影响髋关节力学的发现，反之亦然。我们方法的另一个独特之处是结合了体内和体外技术。我们继续探索椎间盘损伤的过程，重点记录终板、小梁骨和环部的级联损伤，以及在髓核间隙封闭过程后通过生物聚合物增强恢复功能的协作工作。

Low back and cervical spine pain and injury is a major cost to Canadians. The spine is a very complex neural, muscular and skeletal system. However, it thrives on optimal mechanical loading so that it becomes painful and disabled when the mechanical loading is either too much or too little. The focus of this work is directed towards understanding biomechanical function of the spine and related tissues, and using this fundamental knowledge as a foundation, to ultimately develop better pain prevention and rehabilitation approaches. For example, our work deciphering injury mechanisms has shown that disc bulging and herniation have a distinct mechanical cause (repeated and prolonged flexion) which can justify developments for prevention approaches. Over the past 25 years of NSERC funding a highly detailed anatomical model of the thoracolumbar spine has been developed that utilizes the biological signals characterizing movement and muscle activation from each subject. In this way unique insight is obtained into the consequences of the strategies of every individual in terms of tissue stress distribution, and stability of the structure. For the tenure of the next grant, major thrusts include the addition of a cervical spine, and a pelvis with hips to probe basic mechanisms of function from the perspective of the full spine/pelvis. We anticipate discoveries related to how regional spine mechanics influence hip mechanics and vice versa, for example. Another uniqueness in our approach is to combine both in vivo and in vitro techniques. We continue to explore the process of intervertebral disc damage with a focus on documenting the cascade of damage from the endplate, trabecular bone and annulus together with collaborative work to restore function with bio-polymer augmentation following a sealing process of the nucleus compartment.