Comparison of Fatigue Failure Responses of Old 'versus' Middle-Aged Lumbar Motion Segments in Simulated Flexed Lifting

摘要

Survival analysis techniques were used to compare the fatigue failure responses of elderly motion segments to a middle-aged sample. It was concluded that younger motion segments survive considerably longer when exposed to similar spine loading conditions that simulate repetitive lifting in neutral and flexed torso postures, primarily associated with the increased bone mineral content possessed by younger motion segments.