Biomechanical response of the human cervical spine

The purpose of this study was to characterize the biomechanical response of human cervical spine segments in dynamic axial compression. This was accomplished by performing dynamic axial compression tests on human cervical spine segments, C4-T1 and C6-T1, dissected from fresh frozen human male cadavers. The proximal and distal vertebral bodies were fixed to a load cell with a custom aluminum pot and subjected to dynamic compressive loading rates using a servo-hydraulic Material Testing System at a rate of 50 mm/s. The average force and moment at time of structural failure were found to be 3022 +/- 45 N and 46.1 +/-8.1 Nm, respectively, for C4-T1 segments and 6117 +/- 6639 N and 69.5 +/-6.8 Nm, respectively for C6-T1segments. The most severe injury as a result of this testing was compression fractures of the vertebral body. In addition, injuries to the intervertebral discs were only observed in specimens that sustained severe vertebral body fractures. This is consistent with the findings of previous researchers who have reported that intervertebral disc failures do not occur due to single acute loading events without associated severe boney fractures.