A review of biomechanics of the central nervous system.
Spinal cord stresses from postural loads and their neurologic effects.
A hand search of available reference texts and a computer search of literature from Index Medicus sources was performed with special emphasis placed on spinal cord stresses and strains caused by various postural rotations and translations of the skull, thorax and pelvis. Spinal postures will often deform the neural elements within the spinal canal. Prolonged stresses and strains in the neural elements cause a multitude of disease processes. Transverse loading is the most complex load. The stresses and strains in the neural elements and vascular supply are directly related to the function of the sensory, motor and autonomic nervous systems.