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. 2025 Mar;15(2):1212-1228.
doi: 10.1177/21925682241231525. Epub 2024 Feb 12.

The Role of Trabecular, Ligamentous-Intervertebral Disk and Facet Joints Systems: A Finite Element Analysis in the L4-S1 Vertebrae

José Alejandro Guerrero-Vargas  1   2   3 , Pablo Sanchez-Quinones  1   4 , Brayan Felipe Pinzón  5   6 , Melisa Vélez-Muriel  5 , Humberto Madriñan-Navia  1   4 , Leonardo Laverde-Frade  1   4
Affiliations

The Role of Trabecular, Ligamentous-Intervertebral Disk and Facet Joints Systems: A Finite Element Analysis in the L4-S1 Vertebrae

José Alejandro Guerrero-Vargas et al. Global Spine J. 2025 Mar.

Abstract

Study design: Descriptive.

Objectives: Trabecular bone in the vertebrae is critical for the distribution of load and stress throughout the neuroaxis, as well as the intervertebral disk, ligamentous complex, and facet joints. The objective was to assess the stress and strain distribution of the L4-S1 spine segment by a finite element analysis.

Methods: A lumbosacral spine model was built based on a CT-Scan. Trabecular-to-cortical bone distribution, ligaments, intervertebral disk, and facet joints with cartilage were included. A perpendicular force was applied over the L4 upper terminal plate of 300 N, 460 N and 600 N in neutral, plus 5 Nm and 7.5 Nm for flexion and extension movements. Maximum principal stress and total deformation were the main studied variables.

Results: Trabecular bone confers resistance to axial loads on the vertebrae by elastic capacity and stress distribution. MPS and TD showed axial stress attenuation in the nucleus pulposus and longitudinal ligaments, as well as load distribution capacity. Facet joints and discontinuous ligaments showed greater TD values in flexion moments but greater MPS values in extension, conferring stability to the lumbosacral junction and axial load distribution.

Conclusion: We propose 3 anatomical systems for axial load distribution and stress attenuation in the lumbosacral junction. Trabecular bone distributes loads, while the ligamentous-intervertebral disk transmits and attenuate axial stress. Facet joints and discontinuous ligaments act as stabilizers for flexion and extension postures. Overall, the relationship between trabecular bone, ligamentous-intervertebral disk complex and facet joints is necessary for an efficient load distribution and segmental axial stress reduction.This slide can be retrieved from the Global Spine Congress 2023.

Keywords: biomechanics; finite element analysis; lumbar vertebrae; lumbosacral region; trabecular bone.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Brayan Felipe Pinzón received a 16-month contract with monthly paid salary by the ECCI University, as a Young researcher. Every autor listed was provided with access to software licenses and hardware acquisition for data processing by the Hospital Universitario de la Samaritana, used in this manuscript.

Figures

Graphical Abstract
Graphical Abstract
Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Cortical and trabecular bone proportion based on L5 vertebra CT.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Lumbosacral spine model.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Boundary conditions. A Bipedestation, B Flexion, C Extension.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Regions of interest for the left L5-S1 facet joint cartilage.
Graph 1.
Graph 1.
Maximum principal stress in L5 cortical bone.
Graph 2.
Graph 2.
Strain in L5 cortical bone.
Graph 3.
Graph 3.
Maximum principal stress in L5 trabecular bone.
Graph 4.
Graph 4.
Strain in L5 trabecular bone.
Graph 5.
Graph 5.
Maximum and minimum values of the Maximum principal stress in the L5 superior and inferior endplates and L5S1 intervertebral disk.
Graph 6.
Graph 6.
Strain in the L5 superior and inferior endplates and L5S1 intervertebral disk.
Graph 7.
Graph 7.
Strain in the L4L5 ligamentous complex.
Graph 8.
Graph 8.
Strain in the L5S1 ligamentous complex.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Maximum principal stress in L5 vertebrae (trabecular bone) during flexion movement.
Graph 9.
Graph 9.
Strain in L5 trabecular bone vs cortical bone.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Equivalent stress distribution in L5 vertebrae.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Maximum principal stress distribution in L5 vertebrae, from trabecular bone to terminal endplates.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.
Terminal endplate von-Mises distribution at 600 N and 7.5 Nm.
Figure 9.
Figure 9.
L5S1 Intervertebral disk von-Mises load distribution.
Graph 10.
Graph 10.
Von-mises equivalent stress distribution in L5 ligamentous-intervertebral disk complex.
Figure 10.
Figure 10.
L4L5 Intervertebral disk von-Mises load distribution.
Figure 11.
Figure 11.
Cephalo-caudad direction of stress distribution in L5S1 segment.
Figure 12.
Figure 12.
Annulus fibrosus maximum principal stress distribution at 600 N and 7.5 Nm.
Figure 13.
Figure 13.
Annulus fibrosus von-Mises distribution at 600 N.
Figure 14.
Figure 14.
L5 cortical bone MPS distribution at 600 N.
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