FINITE ELEMENT STUDY OF THE INTRACTION OF SPINE, IAP AND SURROUNDING MUSCLES

INTRODUCTION Low back pain is one of the most costly disorders that disturbs the productivity and well-being of affected population. The role and significance of the intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) in spine mechanics has remained controversial and only a few studies investigated the effects of IAP on spine stability. Hence, we developed an FE model in order to advance our previous model studies [1, 2]. The muscles are modeled as continuous fiber-reinforced membranes that surround the intra-abdominal cavity. These models also take advantage of beam elements representing the spine. Then an optimization program using APDL was performed to evaluate the muscles recruitment while considering IAP effect. Although our model is still idealized due to its anatomical details, it can predict IAP effect on the active spine.