Abstract
The mechanical consequences of osteophytes are not completely clear. We aimed to understand whether and how the presence of an osteophyte perturbs strain distribution in the neighboring bone. The scope of this study was to evaluate the mechanical behavior induced by the osteophytes using full-field surface strain analysis in different loading configurations. Eight thoracolumbar segments, containing a vertebra with an osteophyte and an adjacent vertebra without an osteophyte (control), were harvested from six human spines. The position and size of the osteophytes were evaluated using clinical computed tomography imaging. The spine segments were biomechanically tested in the elastic regime in different loading configurations while the strains over the frontal and lateral surface of vertebral bodies were measured using digital image correlation. The strain fields in the vertebrae with and without osteophytes were compared. The correlation between osteophyte size and strain alteration was explored. The strain fields measured in the vertebrae with osteophytes were different from the control ones. In pure compression, we observed a mild trend between the size of the osteophyte and the strain distribution (R 2 = 0.32, p = 0.15). A slightly stronger trend was found for bending (R 2 = 0.44, p = 0.075). This study suggests that the osteophytes visibly perturb the strain field in the nearby vertebral area. However, the effect on the surrounding bone is not consistent. Indeed, in some cases the osteophyte shielded the neighboring bone, and in other cases, the osteophyte increased the strains.
Highlights
Vertebral osteophytes are abnormal bony formations that grow along intervertebral joints (Klaassen et al, 2011)
The minimum principal strain maps were measured in all region of interest (ROI) for each loading configuration (Figure 3)
We wanted to understand whether the mechanical effects of the osteophytes are consistent, or if the osteophyte could either shield the nearby vertebral areas or concentrate the strains
Summary
Vertebral osteophytes are abnormal bony formations that grow along intervertebral joints (Klaassen et al, 2011). Vertebral osteophytes affect 20–30% of the elderly population (Brown and Neumann 2004). A substantial osteophyte can be found in 20–25% of vertebral columns in people in the age range of 20–45 and in 73–90% of vertebral columns in people aged over 60 years (Nathan 1962). Osteophytes usually originate from the periosteum and typically grow by 4% per annum (Hassett et al, 2003; van der Kraan and van den Berg 2007). Osteophytes directly influence the physiologic functions of adjacent organs such as the pharynx, esophagus, lungs, and abdominal aorta (Klaassen et al, 2011). There are several complications associated with osteophyte formation: dysphagia, splanchnic nerve and thoracic aorta compression, and obstructive pneumonia and vena
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