Design and manufacture of a prototype of a testing rig for the evaluation of the biomechanical behavior of vertebrae

The objective of this work is the conceptual design of a testing rig for the biomechanical evaluation of vertebral bodies. Such a rig must test diverse vertebral specimens under compression, flexion and the combination of both loading cases. The dimensions of the porcine and human vertebrae were taken into account. Special attention was given to the design of the grips, in such a way that the range of movements of the spine is reproduced. The structural integrity of this rig was determined by means of the finite element method. In a following step, compression, bending and compression and bending tests of a C3–C7 vertebral body were simulated. This data was obtained from an individual, who was 55 years old. In all these cases, the testing rig had stresses which were within the allowable range. The resultant stresses on the vertebral bodies were in line with those reported in the open literature. In the next step, a ‘‘quick’’ prototype was manufactured in a 3D printer (Dimension SST 1,200). Finally, a data acquisition system has been proposed.