Through-thickness regional variation in the mechanical characteristics of the lumbar facet capsular ligament.

ABSTRACT: The human lumbar facet capsule, with the facet capsular ligament (FCL) that forms its primary constituent, is a common source of lower back pain. Prior studies on the FCL were limited to in-plane tissue behavior, but due to the presence of two distinct yet mechanically different regions, a novel out-of-plane study was conducted to further characterize the roles of the collagen and elastin regions. An experimental technique, called stretch-and-bend, was developed to study the tension-compression asymmetry of the FCL due to varying collagen fiber density throughout the thickness of the tissue. Each healthy excised cadaveric FCL sample was tested in four conditions depending on primary collagen fiber alignment and regional loading. Our results indicate that the FCL is stiffest when the collag

SUBMITTER: Gacek E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9289988 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature