The alteration in mechanical properties of posterior pelvis ligaments may cause a biased pelvis deformation which, in turn, may contribute to hip and spine instability and malfunction. Here, the effect of different mechanical properties of ligaments on lumbopelvic deformation is analyzed via the finite element method. First, the improved finite element model was validated using experimental data from previous studies and then used to calculate the sensitivity of lumbopelvic deformation to changes in ligament mechanical properties, load magnitude, and unilateral ligament resection. The deformation of the lumbopelvic complex relative to a given load was predominant in the medial plane. The effect of unilateral resection on deformation appeared to be counterintuitive, suggesting that ligaments have the ability to redistribute load and that they play an important role in the mechanics of the lumbopelvic complex.

Department of Mechanical Engineering Auckland University of Technology Auckland New Zealand

Department of Trauma Orthopedic and Plastic Surgery University Hospital of Leipzig Leipzig Germany

Division of Macroscopic and Clinical Anatomy Gottfried Schatz Research Center Medical University of Graz Graz Austria

Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology Dresden Germany

Institute of Legal Medicine University Medical Centre Hamburg Eppendorf Hamburg Germany

Institute of New Technologies and Applied Informatics Faculty of Mechatronics Informatics and Interdisciplinary Studies Technical University of Liberec Liberec Czech Republic

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