Development of a finite element lumbar spine model to predict intervertebral disc herniation risk

Models that can predict the risk of herniation or re-herniation can aid in the development of surgical and rehabilitative treatments. Despite an abundance of computational spine models, there are none that have been specifically developed and validated to predict the risk of IVD herniation. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to develop a FE model of the lumbar spine that is capable of predicting the risk of IVD herniations. Results of the study demonstrated that the FE model predicted high posterolateral nucleus extrusion forces when subjected to herniation loading.