Author(s)

Samir Zahaf¹, Bensmaine Mansouri¹, A. Belarbi¹, Zitouni Azari²

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sciences and Technology, Oran, Algeria.
²Laboratory of Biomechanics, Polymers and Structures, Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Metz, Metz, France.

The objective of this work is to study the effect of obesity on the intervertebral discs and provide system analysis of the spine between multiple configurations of people, and know the risks due to this eccentric load (Big Belly). The results show that in all three previous loadings (obese people), the distributions of stress and strain are high in both D1 and D10 intervertebral discs. This shows that the distance between the point of load application and the spine axis has an important role in solicitation increasing and therefore its deformation: as main conclusion is that the concentration of the mass of stomach fat is a risk factor that leads to pain problems, deformation and herniated disc.

Obes, Lumbar-Thoracic, Intervertebral Discs, Finite Element, Biomechanics, Von Mises Stress-Strain, Disc Degeneration

Zahaf, S. , Mansouri, B. , Belarbi, A. and Azari, Z. (2015) Obesity Effect on the Spine. Advances in Bioscience and Biotechnology, 6, 556-571. doi: 10.4236/abb.2015.68059.