A multibody-based approach to the computation of spine intervertebral motions in scoliotic patients
In idiopathic scoliotic patients, dynamical intervertebral efforts may be correlated with the spinal deformity. The quantification of these efforts may be useful for the orthopedic surgeons to plan their surgical procedure, and is the final objective of the present research. We first focused on the geometrical reconstruction of the spine and especially on the rotation sequences between vertebrae using a multibody approach. The reconstruction process was performed in the standing position and in bending postures, using an optimization process based on geometrical data reconstructed from radiographs. The obtained results will serve as input for the subsequent gait motion analysis, for which the limited set of geometrical information must be compensated. Preliminary results related to intervertebral forces are presented for a simple body motion, comparing inverse and direct dynamical approaches.