Biomechanics of the rabbit cervical spine as a function of component transection.

The rabbit cervical spine in the form of the functional spinal unit was tested in a manner analogous to that used to study human functional spinal units. Anatomies and biomechanical similarities and differences with the human were demonstrated. The rabbit cervical spine failed abruptly after a well-defined series of anterior or posterior segmental injuries. However, up to the failure point, the rabbit cervical spine exhibited an increased range of motion after each segmental injury. The results of this study were used to develop an in vivo model for the study of spinal injury in subsequent projects.