Dynamic cervical plates: biomechanical evaluation of load sharing and stiffness

Update Item Information
Publication Type Journal Article
School or College School of Medicine
Department Neurosurgery
Creator Dailey, Andrew T.; Brodke, Darrel S.
Other Author Gollogly, Sohrab; Mohr, R. Alexander; Nguyen, Bao-Khang; Bachus, Kent N.
Title Dynamic cervical plates: biomechanical evaluation of load sharing and stiffness
Date 2001
Description Study Design. An in vitro biomechanical study using a simulated cervical corpectomy model to compare the load-sharing properties and stiffnesses of two static and two dynamic cervical plates. Objectives. To evaluate the load-sharing properties of the instrumentation with a full-length graft and with 10% graft subsidence and to measure the stiffness of the instrumentation systems about the axes of flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial torsion under these same conditions. Summary of Background Data. No published reports comparing conventional and dynamic cervical plates exist. Methods. Six specimens of each of the four plate types were mounted on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene-simulated vertebral bodies. A custom four-axis spine simulator applied pure flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial torsion moments under a constant 50 Naxial compressive load. Load sharing was calculated through a range of applied axial loads up to 120 N. The stiffness of each construct was calculated in response to 62.5 Nm moments about each axis of rotation with a full-length graft, a 10% shortened graft, and no graft. ANOVA and Fisher's post hoc test were used to determine statistical significance (alpha # 0.05). Results. The two locked cervical plates (CSLP and Orion) and the ABC dynamic plate were similar in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and torsional stiffness. The DOC dynamic plate was consistently less stiff. The Orion plate load shared significantly less than the other three plates with a full graft. Both the ABC and the DOC plates were able to load share with a shortened graft, whereas the conventional plates were not. Conclusions. All plates tested effectively load share with a full-length graft, whereas the two dynamic cervical plates tested load share more effectively than the locked plates with simulated graft subsidence. The effect of dynamization on stiffness is dependent on plate design. [Key words: cervical spine, anterior plates, dynamic instrumentation, biomechanics, load sharing]
Type Text
Publisher Wolters Kluwer (LWW)
Volume 26
Issue 12
First Page 1324
Last Page 1329
Subject In vitro biomechanical study; Cervical corpectomy; Cervical plates
Subject LCSH Bone plates (Orthopedics); Cervical vertebrae -- Surgery
Language eng
Bibliographic Citation Brodke, D. S., Gollogly, S., Mohr, R. A., Nguyen, B.- K., Dailey, A. T., & Bachus, K. N. (2001). Dynamic cervical plates: biomechanical evaluation of load sharing and stiffness. Spine, 26(12), 1324-9.
Rights Management (c) Wolters Kluwer (LWW) http://lww.com
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 1,352,752 bytes
Identifier ir-main,13124
ARK ark:/87278/s6dn4pq0
Setname ir_uspace
ID 706944
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6dn4pq0
Back to Search Results