FINITE ELEMENT CHARACTERIZATION OF STRESS PROPAGATION WITHIN DISC.

The disc herniation is a common clinical problem causing low back pain with or without sciatica. It is possible that the disc herniation may be related to the biomechanical structure of the disc and the loading conditions. In the recent past several investigators have utilized finite element method (FEM) to simulate the load-deformation characteristics of the intervertebral joint. This study investigates the elongation and the stress propagation within disc following an insult to the annulus. Nonlinear FEM was utilized to simulate the mechanical behaviour of the normal disc. The effects of initial localized injury in the different locations of annulus were investigated.