• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.1099-1104
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• 2012

The study investigates the mechanical deformation of a newly developed screwless omega-wire dynamic system for stabilization of the spine. The omega-wire spring stabilization system was tested under tension, compression, and dynamic compressive fatigue loads. In addition, its bending deformation was compared to that of a spiral-wire spring system using FEA. A model whose hanger inter-center distance is 60 mm showed an ultimate tensile stress of 3981.7 N at a displacement of 3.61 mm and an ultimate compressive load of 535.6 N at a displacement of 2.16 mm. Under fatigue loading of 5 Hz with 10 N/1 N, it did not show any failure over 5 million cycles, and the displacement was restricted to 8-9 mm. In the FEA, the omega-wire spring system showed more flexible bending features than did the spiral-wire spring system.