Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the effect of pedicle screw fusion with two different rod materials on the lumbosacral spine (L1-S). Three-dimensional geometry of the L1-S spine is developed using computed tomography images and two levels of screw-rod fusion having two different rods, titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) and carbon fiber-reinforced polyetherether-ketone (CFR-PEEK). The finite element simulations are done for the implanted models as well as intact models under different physiological conditions, such as clockwise rotation, counterclockwise rotation, right side bending, left side bending, flexion, and extension under the moments of 2-10 nm with an increment of 2 nm. For a pedicle screw rod with Ti-6Al-4V, a very low value of the range of motion (ROM) is observed, 1.3 deg for extension and 1.9 deg for flexion during a 10 nm moment. For the CFR-PEEK rod, the ROM is improved by 3.2-4, 4-6.5, and 1.9-2 times under rotation, side bending, and flexion-extension, respectively, compared to Ti-6Al-4V rod fixation. The implanted region with Ti-6Al-4V rods resists the ROM, which is undesirable and affects the kinematics of the spine. Thus, the ROM at the implanted segments can be increased by using CFR-PEEK rod materials, which have very low stiffness.
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