[Comparison between the Range of Movement Canine Real Cervical Spine and Numerical Simulation - Computer Model...

Area of Science:

• Biomechanical Engineering
• Comparative Anatomy
• Veterinary Surgery

Background:

• Developing surgical treatments for spine conditions requires accurate biomechanical assessments.
• Canine cervical spines share similarities with human spines, making them a suitable model for research.
• Existing models may not fully capture the complex mechanical and kinematic properties of the cervical spine.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create and validate a numerical model of the canine cervical spine for surgical research.
• To provide a tool for studying cervical spine conditions and surgical interventions in canines.
• To enable basic research applicable to both veterinary and human spinal surgeries.

Main Methods:

• Computed tomography (CT) scans of a Doberman Pinscher's cervical spine were used to create a 3D model.
• Vertebral segmentation and 3D modeling were performed using Mimics and Rhinoceros software.
• Finite element analysis (FEA) in Abaqus simulated the spine's response to external loads, validated against radiographic data.

Main Results:

• The finite element method (FEM) model demonstrated mechanical behavior highly consistent with the physiological canine spine.
• Minor discrepancies were observed, such as a 5.95% difference in C6-C7 dorsiflexion and -3.09% in C4-C5 ventroflexion.
• Validation against radiographic measurements showed a high degree of conformity between the numerical model and real canine spines.

Conclusions:

• The validated numerical model provides a reliable tool for basic research in cervical spine surgery.
• FEA results show high conformity with experimental data, indicating minimal error in the model.
• While valuable, the model is a simplification and cannot fully replicate in vivo dynamics or individual tissue effects.