Advancements in Spine FE Mesh Development: Toward Patient-Specific Models

Abstract

Laboratory-driven experimental studies are capable of delineating the biomechanical characteristics of the spine. They are limited, however, to external responses; that is, internal stresses and strains throughout the structures are not readily attained. Mathematical simulations provide a unique opportunity to serve as an adjunct to experimental studies to predict the external responses, while complementing the experiments by providing such internal responses. Musculoskeletal finite element (FE) analyses have emerged as an invaluable tool in orthopaedic-related research. While it has provided significant insight into the biomechanics of the spine, the demands associated with modeling the geometrically complex structures often limit its utility. Individualized models are important for future development of this field, as they offer a means of correlating mechanical predictions with clinical outcomes. However, relatively few FE studies to date have employed specimen- or patient-specific models. Spine modeling is by no means an exception. In this chapter we describe multiblock methods for generating subject-specific spine meshes to alleviate the current limitations of spine meshing. In addition, we demonstrate additional computational tools to perform “virtual surgery,” and show examples of how the techniques have been applied to date.