Skip to main content

Anatomy and Biomechanics of the Spine

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Radiofrequency Treatments on the Spine

Abstract

Spine is a multiarticular system formed by column, muscles and tendons and central nervous system. It supports the head and trunk during posture and movements and at the same time it protects the spinal cord and the nerve roots. Its function presupposes stability which is obtained with bony and soft movement restraints.

The column includes bones, discs, ligaments and joint capsules; these structures fulfil an intrinsic structural role and contain mechanoreceptors which act as transducers, sending a continuous flow of proprioceptive information on loads, motions and posture to the central nervous system that, in turn, replies via an appropriate and coordinated feedback muscular action.

X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) are the radiological techniques applied in the clinical practice to evaluate the soft and bony spine structures, each one presenting a peculiarly recognized role in the neuroradiological diagnosis of spine diseases. Dynamic studies allow to obtain a complete assessment of the spine adding functional biomechanical values to the morphological data.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 69.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Izzo R, Guarnieri G, Guglielmi G, Muto M (2013) Biomechanics of the spine. Part I: spinal stability. Eur J Radiol 82(1):118–126

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Haher TR, O’Brien M, Kauffman D et al (1993) Biomechanics of the spine in sports. Clin Sports Med 12:449–464

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Guillot M, Fournier J, Vanneuville G et al (1988) Mechanics of the characteristics geometry of the human spine undergoing vertical pressure. Rev Rhum Mal Osteoartic 55:351–359

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. White AA, Johnson RM, Panjabi MM et al (1975) Biomechanical analysis of clinical stability in the cervical spine. Clin Orthop Relat Res 109:85–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Panjabi MM (1992) The stabilizing system of the spine. Part I. Function, dysfunction, adaptation and enhancement. J Spinal Disord 5:383–389

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Kojima Y, Maeda T, Arai R et al (1990) Nerve supply to the posterior longitudinal ligament and the intervertebral disc of the rat vertebral column as studied by acetylcholinesterase histochemistry. I. Distribution in the lumbar region. J Anat 169:237–324

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. McLain RF (1994) Mechanoreceptor endings in human cervical facet joints. Spine 19:495–501

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Louis R (1989) Chirurgia del rachide. Piccin, Padova, pp 67–69

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bell GH, Dunbar O, Beck JS et al (1967) Variation in strength of vertebrae with age and their relation to osteoporosis. Calcif Tissue Res 1(1):75–86

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Myers ER, Wilson SE (1997) Biomechanics of osteoporosis and vertebral fracture. Spine 22(24S):25S–31S

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Schulte K, Clark CR, Goel VK (1989) Kinematics of the cervical spine following discectomy and stabilization. Spine 14(10):1116–1121

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Elliot DM, Yerramalli CS, Auerbach JD (2008) Biomechanics of the intervertebral disc. In: Slipman CW (ed) Interventional spine. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 827–838

    Google Scholar 

  13. Elliott DM, Setton LA (2001) Anisotropic and inhomogeneous tensile behavior of the human annulus fibrosus: experimental measurement and material model predictions. J Biomech Eng 123:256–263

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Perey O (1957) Fracture of the vertebral endplate in the lumbar spine: an experimental biomechanical investigation. Acta Orthop Scand Suppl 25:1–101

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Johannessen W, Vresilovic EJ, Wright AC et al (2004) Intervertebral disc mechanics are restored following cyclic loading and unloaded recovery. Ann Biomed Eng 32:70–76

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Dunlop RB, Adams MA, Hutton WC (1984) Disc space narrowing and the lumbar facet joints. J Bone Joint Surg (Br Volume) 66(5):706–710

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Varlotta GP, Lefkowitz TR, Schweitzer M et al (2011) The lumbar facet joint: a review of current knowledge: part 1: anatomy, biomechanics and grading. Skeletal Radiol 40:13–23

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Sharma M, Langrana NA, Rodriguez J (1995) Role of ligaments and facets in lumbar spine instability. Spine 20:887–900

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Chazal J, Tanguy A, Bourges M et al (1985) Biomechanical properties of spinal ligaments and a histological study of the supraspinal ligament in traction. J Biomech 18:167–176

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Morvan G, Wybier M, Mathieu P et al (2008) Plain radiographs of the spine: static and relationships between spine and pelvis. J Radiol 89:654–663

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Vialle R, Levassor N, Rillardon L et al (2005) Radiographic analysis of the sagittal alignment and balance of the spine in asymptomatic subjects. J Bone Joint Surg 87:260–267

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Bogduk N (1997) Clinical anatomy of the lumbar spine and sacrum, 3rd edn. Churchill Livingstone, London, pp 67–69

    Google Scholar 

  23. Gardner-Morse MG, Stokes IAF (1998) The effects of abdominal muscle coactivation on lumbar spine stability. Spine 23:86–91

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Gray H (ed) (1974) Anatomy, descriptive and surgical: gray’s anatomy. Courage Books/Running Press, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  25. Malcolm B, Carpenter MB (1976) Human neuroanatomy, 7th edn. Williams & Wilkins Co, Baltimore

    Google Scholar 

  26. Raoul S, Faure A, Robert R et al (2002) Role in the sinu-vertebral nerve in low back pain and anatomical basis of therapeutic implications. Surg Radiol Anat 24:366–371

    Google Scholar 

  27. Pieper CC, Groetz SF, Nadal J, Schild HH, Niggemann PD (2014) Radiographic evaluation of ventral instability in lumbar spondylolisthesis: do we need extension radiographs in routine exams? Eur Spine J 23:96–101

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. White A, Panjabi M (1990) Clinical biomechanics of the spine, 2nd edn. Lippincott, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  29. Dupuis PR, Yong-Hing K, Cassidy JD, Kirkaldy-Willis WH (1985) Radiological diagnosis of degenerative lumbar spinal instability. Spine 10:262–266

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Nizard RS, Wybler M, Laredo JD (2001) Radiologic assessment of lumbar intervertebral instability and degenerative spondylolisthesis. Radiol Clin North Am 39:55–71

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Dvorak J, Panjabi MM, Chang D, Theiler R, Grob D (1991) Functional radiographic diagnosis of the lumbar spine: flexion- extension and lateral bending. Spine 16:562–571

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Posner I, White AA 3rd, Edwards WT, Hayes WC (1982) A biomechanical analysis of the clinical stability of the lumbar and lumbosacral spine. Spine 7:374–389

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Campbell SE, Phillips CD, Dubovsky E et al (1995) The value of CT in determining potential instability of simple wedge-compression fractures of the lumbar spine. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 16:1385–1392

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Izzo R, Guarnieri G, Guglielmi G, Muto M (2013) Biomechanics of the spine. Part II: spinal instability. Eur J Radiol 82(1):127–138

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Hogan GJ, Mirvis SE, Shanmuganathan K et al (2005) Exclusion of unstable cervical spine injury in obtunded patients with blunt trauma: is MR imaging needed when multi-detector row CT findings are normal? Radiology 237:106–113

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Wintermark M, Mouhsine E, Theurmann N et al (2003) Thoracolumbar spine fractures in patients who have sustained severe trauma: depiction with multi-detector row CT. Radiology 227:681–689

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Hioki A, Miyamoto K, Sakai H, Shimizu K (2010) Lumbar axial loading device alters lumbar sagittal alignment differently from upright standing position: a computed tomography study. Spine 35:995–1001

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Willen J, Danielson B (2001) The diagnostic effect from axial loading of the lumbar spine during computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in patients with degenerative disorders. Spine 26:2607–2614

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Splendiani A, Perri M, Grattacaso G et al (2016) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbar spine with dedicated G-scan machine in the upright position: a retrospective study and our experience in 10 years with 4305 patients. Radiol Med 121(1):38–44

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Kanno H, Ozawa H, Koizumi Y et al (2015) Changes in lumbar spondylolisthesis on axial-loaded MRI: do they reproduce the positional changes in the degree of olisthesis observed on X-ray images in the standing position? Spine J 15:1255–1262

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Kanno H, Endo T, Ozawa H, Koizumi Y, Morozumi N, Itoi E et al (2012) Axial loading during magnetic resonance imaging in patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis: does it reproduce the positional change of the dural sac detected by upright myelography? Spine 37:E985–E992

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Muto M, Giurazza F, Guarnieri G, Senese R, Schena E, Zeccolini F, Diano A (2016) Dynamic MR in patients affected by neurogenical claudication: technique and results from a single-center experience. Neuroradiology 58(8):765–770. doi:10.1007/s00234-016-1697-7

  43. Alyas F, Connell D, Saifuddin A (2008) Upright positional MRI of the lumbar spine. Clin Radiol 63:1035–1048

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. McGregor AH, Anderton L, Gedroyc WM, Johnson J, Hughes SP (2002) The use of interventional open MRI to assess the kinematics of the lumbar spine in patients with spondylolisthesis. Spine 27:1582–1586

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Splendiani A, Ferrari F, Barile A, Masciocchi C, Gallucci M (2014) Occult neural foraminal stenosis caused by association between disc degeneration and facet joint osteoarthritis: demonstration with dedicated upright MRI system. Radiol Med 119(3):164–174

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  46. Jinkins JR, Dworkin JS, Damadian RV (2005) Upright, weight-bearing, dynamic-kinetic MRI of the spine: initial results. Eur Radiol 15(9):1815–1825

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mario Muto MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Muto, M., Muto, G., Giurazza, F., Tecame, M., Fabio, Z., Izzo, R. (2017). Anatomy and Biomechanics of the Spine. In: Marcia, S., Saba, L. (eds) Radiofrequency Treatments on the Spine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41462-1_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-41462-1_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-41461-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-41462-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics