COMPARISON OF THE LOAD AND DISPLACEMENT CONTROLLED FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSES ON FUSION AND NON-FUSION SPINAL IMPLANTS

Abstract

INTRODUCTION In recent year, the design concepts of spinal implants alternation from traditional stable fusion to restore normal spinal range of motion (ROM). Therefore, the method of the spinal implants in vitro test was advanced from traditional load control method (LCM) to displacement control method (DCM) [1-3]. In real life, it is still not clear whether to use LCM or the DCM to evaluate the spinal implants. In this research, finite element analysis was used to see how motions difference at implanted level and both adjacent levels in fusion and non-fusion implants between LCM and DCM.