Rate effect on sharing of passive lumbar motion segment under load-controlled sagittal flexion: viscoelastic finite element analysis

Industrial epidemiological studies have shown that jobs requiring a higher speed of trunk motion contribute to a higher risk of industrial low back disorders. Consideration of the loading dynamic characteristics, such as lifting at different speeds, requires modeling of the viscoelastic behavior of passive tissues. Detailed systematic analysis of the effects of loading rate has been lacking in the literature. A validated viscoelastic finite element model of a L2–L3 motion segment was used to identify the load sharing among the passive elements at different loading rates. Force controlled complex flexion movement was simulated by applying load at the top of the upper vertebra without constraining any coupled sagittal rotation, whereas the lower vertebra was fixed at the bottom. The load reached its maximum values of 2000 N compression, 400 N anterior shear, and 20 Nm flexion in three different durations of 0.3, 3 and 30 s to represent fast, medium and slow movement. The global force–displacement response of the motion segment, forces in facet joints and ligaments, stresses and strains in anulus fibrosus, and intradiscal pressure were compared across different rates. The higher rate of loading while reaching a prescribed complex forward flexion loading increased the intradiscal pressure and the stress in the anulus fibers at the posterolateral innermost layers, but reduced the global displacements, ligament forces and facet joint forces. The distribution of stress and strain was markedly affected by the loading rate. Consideration of the time-dependent material properties of passive elements is essential to improve our understanding of the responses of the motion segment to dynamic loading conditions. Speed of the manual materials handling (MMH) tasks should be included as a risk factor in the biomechanical and epidemiological studies and guidelines for safe lifting.