CERVICAL-SPINE VERTEBRAL AND FACET JOINT KINEMATICS UNDER WHIPLASH

Whiplash injuries sustained during a rear-end automobile collision hav e significant societal impact. The scientific literature on whiplash l ending is both diverse and confusing. Definitive studies are lacking t o describe the local mechanisms of injury that induce either acute or chronic pain symptoms. A methodology has been presented to quantify th e kinematics of the cervical spine components by inducing controlled w hiplash-type forces to intact human head-neck complexes. The localized facet joint kinematics and the overall segmental motions of the cervi cal spine are presented. It is anticipated that the use of this method ology will assist in a better delineation of the localized mechanisms of injury leading to whiplash pain.