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Master's Thesis
Author of thesis: Bc. Zuzana Rapantová
Acad. year: 2025/2026
Supervisor: Ing. Petr Vosynek, Ph.D.
Reviewer: Ing. Jaroslav Kovář, Ph.D.
Spondylolisthesis is a degenerative condition characterised by the anterior displacement of a vertebra, which significantly disrupts the delicate mechanical balance of the lumbar spine. The primary objective of this thesis is to computationally evaluate the stress-strain states of the lumbar spine segment across physiological, pathological (25% and 50% anterior slip), and postoperative fixation configurations to quantitatively assess these biomechanical alterations. An in silico approach utilising the finite element method (FEM) was employed to simulate standing, flexion, extension, and lateral bending load cases. To accurately capture the complex, non-linear behaviour of spinal tissues, advanced material models were validated and implemented, notably the anisotropic Holzapfel–-Gasser-–Ogden formulation for the annulus fibrosus and hyperelastic Mooney--Rivlin model for the nucleus pulposus. The computational analyses revealed that progressive vertebral slippage substantially alters both segmental kinematics and internal load distribution. Paradoxically, the model with a severe 50\% slip exhibited lower total deformation during standing and flexion compared to the 25\% slip model. This behaviour is attributed to the "bottoming out" effect, where progressive dehydration and degeneration cause the intervertebral disc to stiffen and act as a rigid. Furthermore, the study demonstrated that tissue degradation shifts the mechanical burden from the intervertebral discs and directly increases the reaction forces on the facet joints and tensile stresses in the surrounding ligaments. While surgical intervention using a rigid pedicle screw and interbody cage fixation system successfully eliminated excessive pathological mobility, the results clearly illustrate the biomechanical trade-offs of spinal fusion. The rigid fixation induced a profound stress-shielding effect, reducing the reaction forces at the fixed facet joints to near zero. The highest equivalent von Mises (HMH) stress of 163.15~MPa within the fixator was found during lateral flexion. The findings highlight that while rigid fixation achieves immediate stabilisation, this permanent alteration of the natural reactive force distribution must be carefully considered in spinal surgery to ensure long-term structural integrity and prevent adjacent segment disease.
biomechanics, finite element method, spondylolisthesis, intervertebral disc, anisotropic material, pedicle screw fixation
Date of defence
08.06.2026
Result of the defence
Defended (thesis was successfully defended)
Grading
B
Process of defence
Studentka ve vymezeném čase prezentovala svoji závěrečnou práci. Následně byly přečteny posudky vedoucího a oponenta spolu s přiloženými dotazy k závěrečné práci, které byly studentkou zodpovězeny, k tomu byly položeny další doplňující otázky: Jak bylo dosáhnuto okrajových podmínek, jako např. zátěžná síla a působení okrajových svalů a úponů okolo páteře. Jak byla zvolena hodnota zátěžného momentu 10Nm a zda to není extrémně velká hodnota. Byl použitý fixátor poddajný nebo tuhý? Jak byla zvolena diskretizace modelu, zejména velikost elementů a celkový počet prvků konečnoprvkové sítě? Jak by se projevila změna křivosti páteře? Očekáváte že napětí budou vyšší nebo nižší? Po zodpovězení všech dotazů bylo vystoupení hodnoceno jako: B-Velmi dobré.
Language of thesis
Czech
Faculty
Fakulta strojního inženýrství
Department
Institute of Solid Mechanics, Mechatronics and Biomechanics
Study programme
Engineering Mechanics and Biomechanics (N-IMB-P)
Specialization
Biomechanics (BIO)
Composition of Committee
prof. Ing. Jan Vimmr, Ph.D. (předseda) prof. Ing. Luboš Náhlík, Ph.D. (místopředseda) prof. Ing. Jindřich Petruška, CSc. (člen) prof. Ing. Jiří Burša, Ph.D. (člen) prof. RNDr. Michal Kotoul, DrSc. (člen) doc. Ing. Zdeněk Florian, CSc. (člen) prof. RNDr. Matej Daniel, Ph.D. (člen) Ing. László Iván, Ph.D. (člen) doc. Ing. Tomáš Návrat, Ph.D. (člen)
Supervisor’s reportIng. Petr Vosynek, Ph.D.
Grade proposed by supervisor: B
Reviewer’s reportIng. Jaroslav Kovář, Ph.D.
Grade proposed by reviewer: C
Responsibility: Mgr. et Mgr. Hana Odstrčilová