Comparison of biomechanical parameters of two Chinese cervical spine rotation manipulations based on motion capture and finite element analysis

Dongxin Lin; Zaopeng He; Rui Weng; Yuhua Zhu; Zhiwei Lin; Yuping Deng; Yang Yang; Jinchuan Tan; Mian Wang; Yanbin Li; Gang Huang; Guanghao Yu; Daozhang Cai; Xuecheng Huang; Wenhua Huang

doi:10.3389/fbioe.2023.1195583

Comparison of biomechanical parameters of two Chinese cervical spine rotation manipulations based on motion capture and finite element analysis

Front Bioeng Biotechnol. 2023 Jul 27:11:1195583. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1195583. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Dongxin Lin¹, Zaopeng He^{2

3

4}, Rui Weng^{5

6}, Yuhua Zhu⁷, Zhiwei Lin^{8

9}, Yuping Deng^{10

11}, Yang Yang¹, Jinchuan Tan¹, Mian Wang¹, Yanbin Li¹, Gang Huang¹⁰, Guanghao Yu¹², Daozhang Cai^{2

3

13}, Xuecheng Huang¹⁴, Wenhua Huang¹

Affiliations

¹ Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Biomechanics, National Key Discipline of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
² Center for Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Orthopedics, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
³ The Third School of Clinical Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
⁴ Department of Hand and Foot Surgery and Plastic Surgery, Affiliated Shunde Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Foshan, China.
⁵ The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
⁶ Guangdong Research Institute for Orthopedics and Traumatology of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
⁷ Department of Spinal Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
⁸ Orthopedic Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.
⁹ Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan, China.
¹⁰ Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Integrated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
¹¹ Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China.
¹² Mudanjiang Medical University, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, China.
¹³ Orthopedic Hospital of Guangdong Province, Academy of Orthopedics, Guangzhou, China.
¹⁴ Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (Futian), Shenzhen, China.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to obtain the stress-strain of the cervical spine structure during the simulated manipulation of the oblique pulling manipulation and the cervical rotation-traction manipulation in order to compare the mechanical mechanism of the two manipulations. Methods: A motion capture system was used to record the key kinematic parameters of operating the two manipulations. At the same time, a three-dimensional finite element model of the C0-T1 full healthy cervical spine was established, and the key kinematic parameters were loaded onto the finite element model in steps to analyze and simulate the detailed process of the operation of the two manipulations. Results: A detailed finite element model of the whole cervical spine including spinal nerve roots was established, and the validity of this 3D finite element model was verified. During the stepwise simulation of the two cervical spine rotation manipulations to the right, the disc (including the annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus) and facet joints stresses and displacements were greater in the oblique pulling manipulation group than in the cervical rotation-traction manipulation group, while the spinal cord and nerve root stresses were greater in the cervical rotation-traction manipulation group than in the oblique pulling manipulation group. The spinal cord and nerve root stresses in the cervical rotation-traction manipulation group were mainly concentrated in the C4/5 and C5/6 segments. Conclusion: The oblique pulling manipulation may be more appropriate for the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy, while cervical rotation-traction manipulation is more appropriate for the treatment of cervical spondylosis of cervical type. Clinicians should select cervical rotation manipulations for different types of cervical spondylosis according to the patient's symptoms and needs.

Keywords: biomechanics; cervical rotation manipulation; cervical rotation-traction manipulation; finite element analysis; motion capture; oblique pulling manipulation.

Grants and funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (82205301); Futian Healthcare Research Project (FTWS2022051); Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen (SZSM201612019); Promote Innovation–Driven Power Engineering Projects in FoShan (2019012); the Science and Technology Project of Guangdong Province (2018B090944002); Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (2020B1515120001); Foshan City, in-depth promotion of innovation-driven help projects (2021042). Foundation for Huoju Plan Research of Mudanjiang Medical University.