Experimental analysis of mechanical response of stabilized occipitocervical junction by 3D mark tracking technique

This study is about a biomechanical comparison of some stabilization solutions for the occipitocervical junction. Four kinds of occipito-cervical fixations are analysed in this work: lateral plates fixed by two kinds of screws, lateral plates fixed by hooks and median plate. To study mechanical rigidity of each one, tests have been performed on human skulls by applying loadings and by studying mechanical response of fixations and bone. For this experimental analysis, a specific setup has been developed to impose a load corresponding to the flexion-extension physiological movements. 3D mark tracking technique is employed to measure 3D displacement fields on the bone and on the fixations. Observations of displacement evolution on the bone according to the fixation show different rigidities given by each solution