Cervical spine ligaments have an important role in providing spinal cord stability and restricting excessive movements. Therefore, it is of great importance to study the mechanical properties and model the response of these ligaments. In this study, we characterized and with a simplified approach modeled the aging effects on the mechanical properties of three cervical spine ligaments: the anterior and the posterior longitudinal ligament and the ligamentum flavum. A total of 46 samples of human cadaveric ligaments removed within 24%48 h after death were tested. Uniaxial tension tests along the fiber direction were performed in physiological conditions on a custom designed test equipment. The results showed that aging decreased the failure properties of all three ligaments (failure load, failure elongation). The mechanical response of cervical spine ligaments was modeled with a simplified phenomenological model in the 'toe' and linear region. The aging effect on structural properties was modeled with the parameters of the simplified phenomenological model which are represented as age functions in a manner useful for Finite Element Modeling of cervical spine ligaments. The aging function was added to the model in a manner to demonstrate a method of modeling material properties of cervical spine ligaments of a donor between 20%80 years of age, although it is not able to cover the physical essence of material behavior.
F.02 Acquisition of new scientific knowledge
COBISS.SI-ID: 13975579