Article

Spine stability of the behaving human in health or disorder is a complex,
multi-factorial and time variable index. The major components of stability are
the properties of the external load, passive viscoelastic tissues (ligaments,
discs, facet capsules and dorso-lumbar fascia) combined with the properties of
the active tissues (muscles and their sensory-motor control, co-activation and
associated intra-abdominal pressure) as well as the pro-inflammatory status of
the tissues. Each of the many components' contribution is time variable with
dependence on the dose-duration of the work stimulus and the associated rest.
Interaction of many variables is also dominant. A call is issued to focus
research efforts on the development of a multi-factorial description of spine
stability while representing the contribution of all relevant components as time
variable functions. An example is provided, using models of four components
described as functions of time derived from real data obtained simultaneously
from the in-vivo feline. The example elucidates the potential errors made when
using single components to assess stability and the insight gained when stability
is introduced as a time dependent index. It is expected that such time variable
stability assessment will provide uniform and insightful estimation that will
have valuable applications in occupational, sports and rehabilitation fields as
well as the leisure lifestyles required for maintaining a healthy spine.
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Langue : ANGLAIS