Internal Biomechanical Study of a 70-Year-Old Female Human Lumbar Bi-Segment Finite Element Model and Comparison with a Middle-Aged Male Model

Abstract

The main purpose of this article is to study the biomechanics of spine tissue in elderly female. In this study, the L3-L5 lumbar bi-segmental finite element model for elderly female was obtained from the Advanced Human Modeling Laboratory of the Bioengineering Center at Wayne State University. The effects of flexion and extension on bone geometry, distribution of ligament fibers, location of nucleus, and changes in intervertebral disc height were studied by comparing the results obtained before and after the update of older female and middle-aged male models. For the purpose of comparing the calculated range of motion (ROM) with the experimental data, additional calculations for axial rotation and lateral bending were performed. The study found that the parameters of the model affected the deformation of the disc herniation, ligament and intervertebral disc, and the axial force carrying capacity of the model. The three predicted ROMs are usually similar to the experimental results. Only the older female model has a slightly larger ROM. Therefore, older women are more vulnerable to lumbar spine injuries than men.