Design and Fabrication of a Drop Tower Testing Apparatus to Investigate the Impact Behavior of Spinal Motion Segments

摘要

The vertebral column is the second most common fracture site in individuals with high-grade osteoporosis (30–50%). Most of these fractures are caused by falls. This information reveals the importance of considering impact loading conditions of spinal motion segments, while no commercial apparatus is available for this purpose. Therefore, the goal was set to fabricate an impact testing device for the measurement of impact behavior of the biological tissues.