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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Measuring 3D In-vivo Shoulder Kinematics using Biplanar Videoradiography
Published on: March 12, 2021
Localized cervical facet joint kinematics under physiological and whiplash loading
Brian D Stemper1, Narayan Yoganandan, Thomas A Gennarelli
1Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, WI 53295, USA. stemps@mcw.edu
Object:
Although facet joints have been implicated in the whiplash injury mechanism, no investigators have determined the degree to which joint motions in whiplash are nonphysiological. The purpose of this investigation was to quantify the correlation between facet joint and segmental motions under physiological and whiplash loading.
Methods:
Human cadaveric cervical spine specimens were exercise tested under physiological extension loading, and intact human head-neck complexes were exercise tested under whiplash loading to correlate the localized component motions of the C4-5 facet joint with segmental extension. Facet joint shear and distraction kinematics demonstrated a linear correlation with segmental extension under both loading modes. Facet joints responded differently to whiplash and physiological loading, with significantly increased kinematics for the same-segmental angulation. The limitations of this study include removal of superficial musculature and the limited sample size for physiological testing.
Conclusions:
The presence of increased facet joint motions indicated that synovial joint soft-tissue components (that is, synovial membrane and capsular ligament) sustain increased distortion that may subject these tissues to a greater likelihood of injury. This finding is supported by clinical investigations in which lower cervical facet joint injury resulted in similar pain patterns due to the most commonly reported whiplash symptoms.
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