Customized Implant of Cervical Prostheses Exploiting a Predictive Analysis of Range of Motion

The use of arthroprosthetic devices for spinal stabilization is a widely used procedure in the field of biomechanics. There are several problems on the spinal columns that need to use devices like cages to keep distance between the vertebrae. In many cases, these devices are implanted between the vertebrae to keep a clearance between them and so avoid pain or numbness of the limbs. Thanks to new manufacturing approach, it is possible to use powerful topological optimization algorithms to get biomedical devices with high values of performance. Aim of the paper is to define a simulation to get the kinematic behavior of the human cervical structure. Thanks to the results of the simulation, the model can be used to study the effectiveness of an arthroprosthetic device positioned to stabilize the cervical segment of the spinal column and improve the rehabilitation process. The part of the vertebral column under examination is between C3 and C7. Computer Aided Design has been used starting from the 3D scan of the cervical spine obtained by magnetic resonance imaging. The great potentiality of the method is to use a kinematic simulation that models the vertebrae as rigid body and the ligaments and intervertebral discs as a system of springs. This allows to reduce the cost of simulation in term of complexity and time to reach the solution. The kinematic mechanism will be used in a second step for the assessment of the insertion of arthroprosthetic device in terms of stabilization of the upper part of the spinal column. The main objective is to have a tool that allows to immediately identify the best geometry for the patient and to optimize the shape for each specific case. The tool will be tested in future in order to verify the robustness and reliability in several other cases.