Load-displacement properties of the thoracolumbar calf spine: experimental results and comparison to known human data

The availability of human cadaveric spine specimens for in vitro tests is limited and the risk of infection is now of vital concern. As an alternative or supplement, calf spines have been used as models for human spines, in particular to evaluate spinal implants. However, neither qualitative nor quantitative biomechanical data on calf spines are available for comparison with data on human specimens. The purpose of this study was to determine the fundamental biomechanical properties of calf spines and to compare them with existing data from human specimens. Range of motion, neutral zone, and stiffness properties of thoracolumbar calf spines (T6-L6) were determined under pure moment loading in flexion and extension, axial left/right rotation and right/left lateral bending. Biomechanical similarities were observed between the calf and reported human data, most notably in axial rotation and lateral bending. Range of motion in the lumbar spine in flexion and extension was somewhat less in the calf than that typically reported for the human, though still within the range. These results suggest that the calf spine can be considered on a limited basis as a model for the human spine in certain in vitro tests.