A detailed 3D model of the human spine — an order of magnitude more complex than those in use today — has revealed the potential for certain motions to induce very high levels of torque against joints and muscles, creating an alternate hypothesis about the source of back-pain.
But while the principal loading hypothesis can explain gross injuries, such as fractures in vertebrae or slipped discs, it does not explain the vast majority of cases of back pain.
The researchers say the spine should be considered not as a column, but as a dynamic chain of segments that can rotate. When viewed as such, it becomes clear that torque can damage the joints and muscle between and around vertebrae.
The model can reveal, for instance, whether equipment added to a soldier's helmet could result in excessive "torque jolts" – the kind of quick rotational jerks that Beagley and Ivancevic blame for spinal injuries – as the soldier performs manoeuvres.
