Axial loading

Axial loading is defined as applying a force on a structure directly along a given axis of said structure.^[1] In the medical field, the term refers to the application of weight or force along the course of the long axis of the body.^[2] The application of an axial load on the human spine can result in vertebral compression fractures.^[3] Axial loading takes place during the practice of head-carrying, an activity which a prospective case–control study in 2020 shows leads to "accelerated degenerative changes, which involve the upper cervical spine more than the lower cervical spine and predisposes it to injury at a lower threshold."^[4]

References

1. Yang, King H. (2018-01-01), Yang, King-Hay (ed.), "Chapter 1 - Introduction", Basic Finite Element Method as Applied to Injury Biomechanics, Academic Press, pp. 3–49, doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-809831-8.00001-5, ISBN 978-0-12-809831-8, retrieved 2024-06-11
2. "axial loading". TheFreeDictionary.com. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
3. Raniga, Sameer B.; Menon, Venugopal; Al Muzahmi, Khamis S.; Butt, Sajid (June 2014). "MDCT of acute subaxial cervical spine trauma: a mechanism-based approach". Insights into Imaging. 5 (3): 321–338. doi:10.1007/s13244-014-0311-y. ISSN 1869-4101. PMC 4035495. PMID 24554380.
4. Dave, Bharat R.; Krishnan, Ajay; Rai, Ravi Ranjan; Degulmadi, Devanand; Mayi, Shivanand (2020-03-30). "The Effect of Head Loading on Cervical Spine in Manual Laborers". Asian Spine Journal. 15 (1): 17–22. doi:10.31616/asj.2019.0221. ISSN 1976-1902. PMC 7904483. PMID 32213796.