Motion Unit Research Articles

Efficacy of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) on Balance and Gait in Multiple Sclerosis Patients: A Machine Learning Approach.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has emerged as an appealing rehabilitative approach to improve brain function, with promising data on gait and balance in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, single variable weights have not yet been adequately assessed. Hence, the aim of this pilot randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the tDCS effects on balance and gait in patients with MS through a machine learning approach. In this pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT), we included people with relapsing–remitting MS and an Expanded Disability Status Scale >1 and <5 that were randomly allocated to two groups—a study group, undergoing a 10-session anodal motor cortex tDCS, and a control group, undergoing a sham treatment. Both groups underwent a specific balance and gait rehabilitative program. We assessed as outcome measures the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Fall Risk Index and timed up-and-go and 6-min-walking tests at baseline (T0), the end of intervention (T1) and 4 (T2) and 6 weeks after the intervention (T3) with an inertial motion unit. At each time point, we performed a multiple factor analysis through a machine learning approach to allow the analysis of the influence of the balance and gait variables, grouping the participants based on the results. Seventeen MS patients (aged 40.6 ± 14.4 years), 9 in the study group and 8 in the sham group, were included. We reported a significant repeated measures difference between groups for distances covered (6MWT (meters), p < 0.03). At T1, we showed a significant increase in distance (m) with a mean difference (MD) of 37.0 [−59.0, 17.0] (p = 0.003), and in BBS with a MD of 2.0 [−4.0, 3.0] (p = 0.03). At T2, these improvements did not seem to be significantly maintained; however, considering the machine learning analysis, the Silhouette Index of 0.34, with a low cluster overlap trend, confirmed the possible short-term effects (T2), even at 6 weeks. Therefore, this pilot RCT showed that tDCS may provide non-sustained improvements in gait and balance in MS patients. In this scenario, machine learning could suggest evidence of prolonged beneficial effects.

Development and Extrinsic Calibration of a 3D Optical Multisensor Platform Using Laser Line Scanner and a Three-Axis Linear Motion Unit

Abstract The area-based three-dimensional optical inspection of workpiece geometries is the basis for quality control, maintenance tasks, and many other typical applications in mechanical engineering and automation such as adaptive manufacturing. In the context of a cyber–physical approach for semi-autonomous post-processing of additively manufactured parts, this method provides the basis for an iterative manufacturing approach. Commercially available systems for optical inspections often rely on camera-based methods, which are, however, susceptible to reflections. This article describes an approach for developing an optical scanstation that uses blue laser line scanners in combination with a Cartesian three-axis motion system and a turntable. The focus of the work is on the development of a method for the fast extrinsic calibration of the entire scanstation.

Effect of Ground and Raised Poles on Kinematics of the Walk

Walking over poles is a commonly employed training and rehabilitation tool and it is crucial to understand its effect on equine locomotion, particularly joint range of motion (ROM). The study aimed to compare the effect of ground poles (GP) and raised poles (RP) on limb kinematics and poll, wither and pelvic ROM at walk. It was hypothesized that walking over poles would increase joint ROM but have no effect on poll, wither and pelvic ROM compared to no poles (NP). Forty-one horses were walked in-hand over NP, GP (10 cm) and RP (26 cm) in a crossover design. Limb kinematics were determined via two-dimensional motion capture (240 Hz). Poll, wither, tubera sacrale, and left/right tuber coxae ROM were determined by inertial motion units (100 Hz). Multivariable mixed effects linear regression analyses were carried out. Walking over poles increased limb joint ROM, through increased swing flexion, compared to NP. There was a greater effect over RP compared to GP. Significant reductions in craniocaudal ROM of the wither, tuber coxae and tuber sacrale were observed over GP and RP. Mediolateral ROM of tuber coxae and tuber sacrale increased over GP and RP and was greatest over RP. Wither ROM was increased over RP only. Set-up and height of the poles used here may not extrapolate to other scenarios. Walking over poles appears to be effective at increasing joint ROM via an increase in mid swing flexion, without vertical excursion of the trunk, compared to normal locomotion, which supports the use of poles for rehabilitation.

Analysis of Students' Role Perceptions and their Tendencies in Classroom Education Based on Visual Inspection.

This paper presents an in-depth study and analysis of students' role perceptions and their tendencies in classroom education using a visual inspection approach. A multi example learning student engagement assessment method based on a one-dimensional convolutional neural network is proposed. Based on the conceptual composition of student engagement, head posture, eye gaze, and eye-opening and closing states and the most used facial movement units are used as visual features. For feature extraction, the proposed view of relative change features, based on the video features extracted from the Open Face toolset, the standard deviation of the distance between adjacent multiple frames relative to the center point of the three visual features is used as the relative change features of the video. This results in the phenomenon that students are highly motivated in the early stage and significantly increase the rate of absenteeism in the later stage. With the development of information technology injecting new vitality into educational innovation, many researchers have introduced computer vision and image processing technology into students' online learning activities, and understand students' current learning situation by analyzing students' learning status. There are relatively few studies in this area in classroom teaching. Considering the low relative position correlation of the features in the examples, the examples are analyzed using a one-dimensional convolutional neural network to obtain the example-level student engagement, and a multi-example pooling layer is used to infer the student engagement in the video from the example-level student engagement. Finally, the experimental method is used to apply the student classroom attention evaluation detection system to actual classroom teaching activities, and the effectiveness and accuracy of the design of the student classroom attention evaluation detection system are investigated in depth through specific applications and example analysis, and the accuracy of the method of this paper is further verified by communicating feedback with teachers and students in the form of interviews.

Mechanical Analysis of Posterior Pedicle Screw System Placement and Internal Fixation in the Treatment of Lumbar Fractures.

Objective Image segmentation technology is applied to separate a single vertebra from the three-dimensional model of the spine, so as to separate a single vertebra image with smaller error, higher degree of automation, and better results. The objectives are to study the biomechanical characteristics of posterior short-segment pedicle screw fixation by three-dimensional finite element method, analyze the mechanical characteristics of posterior pedicle screw rod fixation system under different factors, and demonstrate the feasibility of its application in the treatment of lumbar fracture. Methods The authors searched the database for articles about the treatment of lumbar spine fracture, screw rod internal fixation system, and its mechanical parameters. The threshold segmentation method based on region segmentation method was used to segment the image, and the three-dimensional finite element model was used to analyze the biomechanical characteristics of different posterior internal fixation for lumbar spine fracture. Results The posterior pedicle internal fixation system for the treatment of multilevel spinal fractures is a mature surgical technique and has fewer postoperative complications. Transpedicle fixation is effective and reliable. It can effectively restore the coronal and sagittal curvature of the vertebral body and restore the stability of the spine better. But the choice of internal fixation method should be individualized based on fracture type, identification of critical and secondary injury sites, and stability assessment. Only after mastering the biomechanical characteristics of the posterior screw rod system for the treatment of lumbar fracture, selecting the appropriate method, and fixing the appropriate movement unit can the best fixation be achieved. Conclusion Threshold method is the most direct and simple image segmentation method. The core technology of thresholding is the selection of threshold, which will affect the final segmentation effect. The most common segmentation method is to calculate the segmentation threshold by histogram. The threshold method has less computation and good segmentation effect for the image with large contrast between background and target. Posterior pedicle screw rod system internal fixation has the advantages of less trauma, good reduction, reliable fixation, and less complications. The design, placement angle and depth of various internal fixation systems, and the number of fixed segments all show different mechanical characteristics. As long as we master the above characteristics, choose the appropriate method and fix the appropriate motor unit, and we can get the best fixation; it can be used as an effective treatment for lumbar fracture.

A class of novel underactuated positioning systems for actuating/configuring the parallel manipulators

AbstractParallel manipulators are increasingly utilized in extensive industrial applications due to their high accuracy, compact structure, and significant stiffness characteristics. However, most of the time, massive actuators are involved in constructing and controlling a parallel manipulator, which burdens the structure design and controller development. In this paper, a novel underactuated positioning system been built by different sets of linear motion units (defined as the positioning lines) is proposed, enabling to actuate the multiple degree-of-freedom manipulators with one motor. To achieve this, a smart shape memory alloy (SMA) clutch is presented to obtain the positioning function of each positioning line. Further, to get the decoupled motion regulation of the positioning lines, a new thermal kinematic model of the SMA clutch, which considers the heat dissipation influence on the metal components, was built and validated by the physical prototypes. The experimental results show that the constitutive model of the SMA clutch developed in this paper can be validated within the error of 5.3%. It can also be found that the heat dissipation of the metal component has a significant influence on the model accuracy of the SMA clutch (i.e., 2.6% of the model accuracy). The experiments on the underactuated positioning system produce the following results: the single positioning line can achieve high positioning (i.e., average error: 1.01%) and tracking (i.e., average error $\leq$ 1 mm) abilities; the underactuated positioning system can perform decoupled motions in the three positioning lines with high accuracy (i.e., ±2 mm within the stroke of 180 mm).

Mechatronic System Integrating an Electromagnetic Actuator with the Possibility of Moving the Working Microscopic Tool at Submicrometric Resolutions

Abstract The possibility to work by using small objects, under the microscopic view, it is a challenge. The force’s spectrum differs from that of the macroscopic scale, and many unexpected force vectors will appear. A sharp tip must be the ideal pressure vector on different microscopic small object to push, roll, and brake and so on. The positioning of this tip must be a very precise one, comparatively with the working area dimensions and we consider that 10 microns can be a reasonable measuring unit for these moves that are executed into a specific way in these kinds of cases. The mechatronic system designed to actuate the tip, becomes this paper subject. Indisputable we will talk about an actuator with one or more than one freedom degrees. Mechanical aspects are secondary, but necessary to understand the impact of electrical parameters on the minimum possible unit of movement. Electronic control refers to a switching and PWM signal, through a software that develops both the effective part of generating the control signal and the HMI interface through a touch-screen. The aim of this paper was to determine the minimum micrometric travel distance that can be obtained with a 12-bit PWM signal generated by a Raspberry mini-computer

Expectable Motion Unit: Avoiding Hazards From Human Involuntary Motions in Human-Robot Interaction

In robotics, many control and planning schemes have been developed to ensure human physical safety in human-robot interaction. The human psychological state and the expectation towards the robot, however, are typically neglected. Even if the robot behaviour is regarded as biomechanically safe, humans may still react with a rapid involuntary motion (IM) caused by a startle or surprise. Such sudden, uncontrolled motions can jeopardize safety and should be prevented by any means. In this letter, we propose the Expectable Motion Unit (EMU), which ensures that a certain probability of IM occurrence is not exceeded in a typical HRI setting. Based on a model of IM occurrence generated through an experiment with 29 participants, we establish the mapping between robot velocity, robot-human distance, and the relative frequency of IM occurrence. This mapping is processed towards a real-time capable robot motion generator that limits the robot velocity during task execution if necessary. The EMU is combined in a holistic safety framework that integrates both the physical and psychological safety knowledge. A validation experiment showed that the EMU successfully avoids human IM in five out of six cases.

Investigations of air cushion effect on the slamming load acting on trimaran cross deck during water entry

The cross-sectional shape of a trimaran is more complex than that of a monohull and consists of a main hull, side hull, and cross deck. When a trimaran moves downward in a severe sea state, air trapped between the main and side hulls forms a cushion under the cross deck, and this has a significant effect on the slamming pressure on the structure. In this work, laboratory experiments are performed on a scale-model trimaran section to gain deeper insight into the dynamic interactions between hull structure, water, and air and to investigate the effects of the air cushion on slamming loads. The air–water–structure interactions are investigated through particle image velocimetry, the accelerations of the ship section are measured by inertial motion units, and the slamming loads are obtained from pressure sensors. To enhance the influence of the air cushion, two plates are installed, one on each side of the ship section, to restrain the escape of air during the experiments. In addition, to eliminate the influence of the air cushion, numerical simulations of water entry are conducted with air replaced by hydrogen, whose density is much lower. The experimental and numerical results confirm that the air cushion under the cross deck can significantly reduce the slamming pressure.

Quantification of Head Tremors in Medical Conditions: A Comparison of Analyses Using a 2D Video Camera and a 3D Wireless Inertial Motion Unit

This study compares two methods to quantify the amplitude and frequency of head movements in patients with head tremor: one based on video-based motion analysis, and the other using a miniature wireless inertial magnetic motion unit (IMMU). Concomitant with the clinical assessment of head tremor severity, head linear displacements in the frontal plane and head angular displacements in three dimensions were obtained simultaneously in forty-nine patients using one video camera and an IMMU in three experimental conditions while sitting (at rest, counting backward, and with arms extended). Head tremor amplitude was quantified along/around each axis, and head tremor frequency was analyzed in the frequency and time-frequency domains. Correlation analysis investigated the association between the clinical severity of head tremor and head linear and angular displacements. Our results showed better sensitivity of the IMMU compared to a 2D video camera to detect changes of tremor amplitude according to examination conditions, and better agreement with clinical measures. The frequency of head tremor calculated from video data in the frequency domain was higher than that obtained using time-frequency analysis and those calculated from the IMMU data. This study provides strong experimental evidence in favor of using an IMMU to quantify the amplitude and time-frequency oscillatory features of head tremor, especially in medical conditions.

QID: Robust Mobile Device Recognition via a Multi-Coil Qi-Wireless Charging System

Recent years have witnessed the increasing penetration of wireless charging base stations in the workplace and public areas, such as airports and cafeterias. Such an emerging wireless charging infrastructure has presented opportunities for new indoor localization and identification services for mobile users. In this paper, we present QID, the first system that can identify a Qi-compliant mobile device during wireless charging in real-time. QID extracts features from the clock oscillator and control scheme of the power receiver and employs light-weight algorithms to classify the device. QID adopts a 2-dimensional motion unit to emulate a variety of multi-coil designs of Qi, which allows for fine-grained device fingerprinting. Our results show that QID achieves high recognition accuracy. With the prevalence of public wireless charging stations, our results also have important implications for mobile user privacy.

Precision analysis of series-parallel machine tool based on hierarchy motion function units

This paper takes the motion units of the series-parallel machine tool (SPMT) as the basic research objects. Combined with the meta-action theory, the FMA-MBS structure model is proposed to describe the spatial structure relationships and motion transfer relationships of SPMT. Based on the simplified model, the kinematics characteristics of the machine tool are gradually researched from four layers: joint layer, limb layer, subsystem layer, and the whole machine. According to the twist system of limbs and moving platform, the parallel motion system can be simplified into a virtual motion chain with specific constraints. Then, the kinematics model of SPMT is constructed in twist exponential form. By introducing two virtual degrees of freedom (DOFs), the unified expressions of active and passive joint errors are obtained. All motion systems error models are derived based on three basic error terms of the meta-action layer. Based on the error mapping relationships, the precision of the machine tool can be calculated and evaluated. In order to illustrate the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed method, a sample library of common SPMTs and a case study of a 5-axis series-parallel machining center are provided.

Recognition of Upper Limb Action Intention Based on IMU.

Using motion information of the upper limb to control the prosthetic hand has become a hotspot of current research. The operation of the prosthetic hand must also be coordinated with the user’s intention. Therefore, identifying action intention of the upper limb based on motion information of the upper limb is key to controlling the prosthetic hand. Since a wearable inertial sensor bears the advantages of small size, low cost, and little external environment interference, we employ an inertial sensor to collect angle and angular velocity data during movement of the upper limb. Aiming at the action classification for putting on socks, putting on shoes and tying shoelaces, this paper proposes a recognition model based on the Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithm of the motion unit. Based on whether the upper limb is moving, the complete motion data are divided into several motion units. Considering the delay associated with controlling the prosthetic hand, this paper only performs feature extraction on the first motion unit and the second motion unit, and recognizes action on different classifiers. The experimental results reveal that the DTW algorithm based on motion unit bears a higher recognition rate and lower running time. The recognition rate reaches as high as 99.46%, and the average running time measures 8.027 ms. In order to enable the prosthetic hand to understand the grasping intention of the upper limb, this paper proposes a Generalized Regression Neural Network (GRNN) model based on 10-fold cross-validation. The motion state of the upper limb is subdivided, and the static state is used as the sign of controlling the prosthetic hand. This paper applies a 10-fold cross-validation method to train the neural network model to find the optimal smoothing parameter. In addition, the recognition performance of different neural networks is compared. The experimental results show that the GRNN model based on 10-fold cross-validation exhibits a high accuracy rate, capable of reaching 98.28%. Finally, the two algorithms proposed in this paper are implemented in an experiment of using the prosthetic hand to reproduce an action, and the feasibility and practicability of the algorithm are verified by experiment.

The influence of ankle dorsiflexion range of motion on unanticipated cutting kinematics

PurposeExplore whether dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM) influences cutting kinematics.MethodsDorsiflexion ROM was measured in 42 individuals using the weight-bearing lunge test (WBLT). Unanticipated cutting kinematics were collected at initial contact (IC) and between IC and maximum knee flexion using three-dimensional motion and inertial measurement unit methods. Multiple linear regressions with sex as a confounder were used to explore the relationship between kinematic variables and WBLT dorsiflexion ROM for both legs.ResultsWBLT dorsiflexion ROM values were 51.33 ± 6.48° and 50.21 ± 7.00° on dominant and non-dominant legs, respectively. For dominant leg cutting, transverse plane knee ROM increased 0.20° (p = 0.037), sagittal plane trunk ROM increased 0.16° (p = 0.044), and trunk flexion at IC decreased 0.39° (p = 0.009) for each degree of WBLT dorsiflexion ROM measured. Males had 5.89° greater trunk flexion at IC than females. For non-dominant leg cutting, peak lateral trunk flexion towards the stance leg, and sagittal and coronal plane hip ROM increased 0.36° (p = 0.039), 0.24° (p = 0.017), and 0.21° (p = 0.005) for each degree of dorsiflexion ROM, respectively.ConclusionsDorsiflexion ROM influences cutting kinematics and may contribute to anterior cruciate ligament injury.

Moving beyond velocity derivatives; using global positioning system data to extract sequential movement patterns at different levels of rugby league match-play

ABSTRACT This study aims to (a) quantify the movement patterns during rugby league match-play and (b) identify if differences exist by levels of competition within the movement patterns and units through the sequential movement pattern (SMP) algorithm. Global Positioning System data were analysed from three competition levels; four Super League regular (regular-SL), three Super League (semi-)Finals (final-SL) and four international rugby league (international) matches. The SMP framework extracted movement pattern data for each athlete within the dataset. Between competition levels, differences were analysed using linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Movement patterns were decomposed into their composite movement units; then Kruskal–Wallis rank-sum and Dunn post-hoc were used to show differences. The SMP algorithm found 121 movement patterns comprised mainly of “walk” and “jog” based movement units. The LDA had an accuracy score of 0.81, showing good separation between competition levels. Linear discriminant 1 and 2 explained 86% and 14% of the variance. The Kruskal–Wallis found differences between competition levels for 9 of 17 movement units. Differences were primarily present between regular-SL and international with other combinations showing less differences. Movement units which showed significant differences between competition levels were mainly composed of low velocities with mixed acceleration and turning angles. The SMP algorithm found 121 movement patterns across all levels of rugby league match-play, of which, 9 were found to show significant differences between competition levels. Of these nine, all showed significant differences present between international and domestic, whereas only four found differences present within the domestic levels. This study shows the SMP algorithm can be used to differentiate between levels of rugby league and that higher levels of competition may have greater velocity demands. Highlights This study shows that movement patterns and movement units can be used to investigate team sports through the application of the SMP framework One hundred and twenty-one movement patterns were found to be present within rugby league match-play, with the walk- and jog-based movement units most prevalent. No movement pattern was unique to a single competition level. Further analysis revealed that the majority of movement units analysed had significant differences between international and domestic rugby league, whereas only four movement units (i.e. f,m,n,q) had significant differences within the two domestic rugby league levels. International rugby league had higher occurrences of the movement patterns consisting of higher velocity movement units (ie. T,S,y). This suggests that international rugby league players may need greater high velocity exposure in training.

Relationship Between External and Internal Load Measures in Youth Beach Handball.

Assessing the relationship between external load (EL) and internal load (IL) in youth male beach handball players. A total of 11 field players from the Lithuanian U17 beach handball team were monitored across 14 training sessions and 7 matches. The following EL variables were assessed by means of inertial movement units: PlayerLoad™, accelerations, decelerations, changes of direction, and jumps and total of inertial movements. IL was assessed objectively and subjectively using the summated heart rate zones and training load calculated via session rating of perceived exertion, respectively. Spearman correlations (ρ) were used to assess the relationship between EL and IL. The interindividual variability was investigated using linear mixed models with random intercepts with IL as dependent variable, PlayerLoad™ as the independent variable, and players as random effect. The lowest significant (P < .05) relationship was for high jumps with objective (ρ = .56) and subjective (ρ = .49) IL. The strongest relationship was for PlayerLoad™ with objective (ρ = .9) and subjective (ρ = .84) IL. From the linear mixed model, the estimated SD of the random intercepts was 19.78 arbitrary units (95% confidence interval, 11.75-33.31); SE = 5.26, and R2 = .47 for the objective IL and 6.03 arbitrary units (95% confidence interval, 0.00-7330.6); SE = 21.87; and R2 = .71 for the subjective IL. Objective and subjective IL measures can be used as a monitoring tool when EL monitoring is not possible. Coaches can predict IL based on a given EL by using the equations proposed in this study.

Analysis of Pedestrian Lane Change Behavior Spectrum Based on Video Data at Ticket Gate Facilities in Subway Stations

Using motion unit tracking technology, the pedestrian motion parameters were extracted from the monitoring video data at the ticket gate facilities in subway stations and the indicators of the lane change behavior were determined. The pedestrian lane change behavior spectrum of ticket gate facilities in subway stations was constructed from the three elements of types of ticket gate facilities, pedestrian flow, and lane change behavior, and the quartile method was used to determine the upper and lower thresholds of the indicators. The results showed that when the pedestrian flow was (5, 10] ped/min, the average values of displacement, distance, and cumulative side shift distance were the largest and the thresholds were the largest. When the pedestrian flow was (10, 15] ped/min, pedestrians generally adopted a faster walking speed to change lanes. With the increase of the pedestrian flow, the average value of the change in direction of the movement increased and the longitudinal distance at the gate-type ticket gate facilities was greatly affected by the pedestrian flow. The number of lane changes was generally once. The research results can provide a basis for scientifically setting up ticket gate facilities and reducing congestion risks caused by abnormal lane change behavior.

How Long Should GPS Recording Lengths Be to Capture the Community Mobility of An Older Clinical Population? A Parkinson's Example.

Wearable global position system (GPS) technology can help those working with older populations and people living with movement disorders monitor and maintain their mobility level. Health research using GPS often employs inconsistent recording lengths due to the lack of a standard minimum GPS recording length for a clinical context. Our work aimed to recommend a GPS recording length for an older clinical population. Over 14 days, 70 older adults with Parkinson’s disease wore the wireless inertial motion unit with GPS (WIMU-GPS) during waking hours to capture daily “time outside”, “trip count”, “hotspots count” and “area size travelled”. The longest recording length accounting for weekend and weekdays was ≥7 days of ≥800 daily minutes of data (14 participants with 156, 483.9 min recorded). We compared the error rate generated when using data based on recording lengths shorter than this sample. The smallest percentage errors were observed across all outcomes, except “hotspots count”, with daily recordings ≥500 min (8.3 h). Eight recording days will capture mobility variability throughout days of the week. This study adds empirical evidence to the sensor literature on the required minimum duration of GPS recording.

Electroneurography abnormality in Parkinson’s disease: a potential biomarker to help diagnosis

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, pathologically characterized by the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. Although various biomarkers and imaging criteria for PD have been established, objective and reliable evaluation methods are still lacking. Electroneurography, as an objective measurement of evoked compound muscle action potentials, is used to assess the integrity of the peripheral nerve and is important in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PD with neuromuscular injury. Moreover, it provides references for the evaluation and quantification of the motor function in PD. Here, we summarize recent advances in clinical research of electroneurography in PD, including the peripheral nerve conduction velocity, needle electromyography, surface electromyography, and motion unit number estimation. The potential values of electroneurography in PD diagnosis are also involved.

Slanted slot was the most resistant to failure of ventral slot techniques tested in rabbit cervical vertebrae

The ventral slot technique is used to relieve neural compression secondary to intervertebral disc degeneration or disease. In the present study, the biomechanical properties of three different ventral surgical procedures in the rabbit C6–C7 vertebral motion unit (VMU) were assessed and compared with the intact C6–C7 VMU. The ventral slot procedure (slanted, full, or mini; n = 8/group) was performed on these cervical vertebrae. Normal spine torsion and flexion values were compared to those of spines subjected to slanted, full, and mini slot surgery. The slanted slot spines were the most stable, maintaining 70% of normal cervical spine strength, compared to 26% with the full slot and 30% with the mini slot. Regarding torsion, slanted slot spines showed 74% stability compared to the normal cervical spine, while the full slot and mini slot spines showed 58% and 62% stability, respectively. Flexion values were lower after all versions of the ventral slot procedure than in the normal spine, with the greatest flexion difference occurring after the full slot procedure (21% of the normal flexion value). The flexion values also differed significantly between the slanted and full spine groups, and all operated spines showing roughly 60% torsion rates compared with normal spines. The slanted slot maintains more stability in rabbit cervical spine than the other procedures. To our knowledge, this was the first study to examine biomechanical failure differences between the distinct versions of this ventral slot procedure.