The biomechanical analysis of the traumatic cervical spinal cord injury using finite element approach

According to up-to-date knowledge only mathematical modelling of the spinal cord injury (SCI) may provide real insight into a spatial location of the fields of the spinal cord mechanical strain generated by the injury. The purpose of our research was to correlate the results of Finite Element Analysis of SCI with the patient's neurological state and the injured spinal cord MR imaging. The 3D Finite Element Model of the cervical spinal cord and vertebral canal of a 21-year-old male patient was created. The moment of the injury was reconstructed by a simulation of the displacement of nonelastic structure to the light of vertebral canal. A detailed spatial analysis of the stress, strain and dislocation distribution was performed. The most injured region was the superficial zone of the white matter, the anterior part and central region of the grey matter, which was in good agreement with patient's neurological staus. An individualized Finite Element Model of traumatic SCI constructed by us enabled the evaluation of the influence of mechanical strain on a neurological condition of a patient. Further research will consist in validation of the results of endurance analyses based on a enlarged group of patients.