Design and stress analysis of wider lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) cages: A finite element study

Abstract

It is important to better understand the impact of intervertebral cage material and design on the stress distribution in vertebral bodies to aid eliminate complications like subsidence and improve performance after lumbar interbody fusion. In this study, the cage materials of PLA, PEEK, titanium, and stainless steel were compared using a finite element model of the L3-L4 motion segment. Strain and stress were measured in the vertebra and cage when the model was loaded in axial compression, flexion, and torsion. Additionally, a wider cage designed to conform to the vertebral endplates could potentially evenly distribute and reduce the overall stress at the endplates. The wider cages increased the area in contact with the bone, distributing the stress more evenly and providing a potential way to decrease the danger of subsidence. Such cages could be manufactured by additive manufacturing.

Keywords

• Spinal cage
• 3D Design
• Interbody Fusion
• FEM
• finite element
• LLIF cage

Daha geniş lateral lumbar interbody füzyon (LLIF) kafeslerinin tasarımı ve stres analizi: Bir sonlu eleman çalışması

Öz

Lateral Lumbar Interbody Füzyon operasyonu sonrası çökme gibi komplikasyonları ortadan kaldırmaya ve performansı artırmaya yardımcı olmak için intervertebral kafes malzemesinin ve tasarımının omur gövdelerindeki stres dağılımı üzerindeki etkisini daha iyi anlamak oldukça önemlidir. Bu çalışmada PLA, PEEK, titanyum ve paslanmaz çelik kafes malzemeleri, L3-L4 omur segmentinin sonlu elemanlar modeli kullanılarak karşılaştırılmıştır. Model eksenel bası, eğme ve dönme momentinde yüklendiğinde omur ve kafeste gerinim ve gerilim değerleri ölçülmüştür. Ayrıca, vertebral plakalara uyacak şekilde tasarlanmış daha geniş bir kafes, potansiyel olarak plakalardaki genel gerilimi eşit şekilde dağıtabilir ve azaltabilir. Daha geniş kafesler, kemikle temas halindeki alanı arttırarak, stresi daha eşit dağıtmıştır ve çökme tehlikesini azaltmak için potansiyel bir yol sağlamıştır. Bu tür kafesler eklemeli imalat ile üretilebilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Omur kafesi
• 3B tasarım
• Vücutlar arası füzyon
• FEM
• Sonlu elemanlar
• LLIF kafes

Kaynakça

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