隨著年齡的增長，人體的脊椎經常伴隨退化性椎間盤突出問題的發生，這些症狀常見於腰椎第四節與第五節之間，若初步的保守治療沒有辦法改善，則改以手術治療。
本研究考慮退化性椎間盤與腰椎第四節(L4)與第五節(L5)之間發生椎間盤突出的問題，並建立經椎間盤切除術及椎板開孔術後的有限元素模型，分析四種不同狀況的治療情形：(1)L4、L5間經椎板開孔術及椎間盤切除術；(2)手術後使用DIAM固定；(3)手術後使用PEEK Cage固定；(4)手術後使用DIAM及Cage固定 的生物力學影響。
本研究以電腦斷層掃描(CT)建立L3至S1的脊椎模型，並以Hypermesh建立DIAM及Cage的模型。在腰椎第四節及第五節之間，將後骨左側的部分，移除中心線上半部和以下四分之一部份的範圍，模擬椎板開孔術的開孔大小。以弱化L3至S1各椎節間的椎間盤纖維環的楊氏係數至60%及80%，模擬退化性椎間盤的強度。最後施予各個椎節1Nm的彎矩或轉矩模擬前彎、後仰、側彎、扭轉四個動作，以ABAQUS求解並分析端板間的相對轉角、von-Mises應力及應變能密度。

With aging, degenerative disc disease or disc herniation would occur in elder people. It is commonly found in the lumbar spine especially between vertebrae L4 and L5. If conservative treatment is no way to improve the poor situation, a surgical treatment will be performed.
This study explored the lumbar degenerative disc disease with disc herniation of L4-5 by finite element models simulating surgical treatment with laminotomy and discectomy of L4-5. We analyzed four different kinds of surgical interventions:(1) surgery with laminotomy and discectomy of L4-5 (2) surgery with insertion of interspinous DIAM device (3) surgery with interbody PEEK cage fusion (4) surgery with insertion of DIAM and PEEK cage together.
In this study we used computed tomography (CT) for establishing a spine model of L3 to S1 and created the DIAM and PEEK cage models with Hypermesh software. For L4-5 laminotomy, we resected left lower half of L4 lamina and upper quarter of L5 lamina. To simulate the degenerative disc disease, Young's modulus of the annulus fiber was weakened to 60% and 80% in the model. Finally we exerted moment of 1Nm on each vertebra and used ABAQUS as tools to investigate the difference in the relative rotation angle of the endplates, von Mises stress and strain energy density in intervertebral discs under different loading conditions (extension, flexion, lateral bending and axial rotation).

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