3D Facet Joint Kinematics In-vivo and Spinal Degeneration and Its Correlation to the Lower Back Pain

The facet joints play a major role in lumbar segmental motion that is susceptible to morphological changes, eventually leading to segmental instability. Recent advancements in medical imaging enabled the development of innovative methods to study in-vivo three-dimensional kinematics and morphology of the facet joint. The aim of this study was to describe facet motion in-vivo using image-based methods. This study demonstrates coupled motion for the facets during axial torsion. Eigenvector analysis allowed identification of each vertebra’s principal orientation. This reference datum determined a local coordinate system for the individual facet joint surfaces. This work contributes to the field with high-accuracy in vivo baseline data.