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[Mechanics of the characteristic geometry of the human spine undergoing vertical pressure]
M Guillot1, J Fournier, T Scheye
1Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand.
Bulletin De L'Association Des Anatomistes
|June 1, 1990
Abstract:
Since MAGENDIE in 1816, it has been a common assertion in books of Anatomie that curves of the spine increase its strength. This increase in strength has been estimated by a formula attributed to EULER: R = nc2 + 1 in which R is the strength and nc2 stands for the square of the number of curves. Applying the actual law of Euler on the strength of beams submitted to a vertical effort, the authors conclude that strength is increased by about 30% and not multiplied by 10, 16 or even 17 as is often falsely written.