The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
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Facet tropism is defined as the angular difference between the left and the right facet orientation. Facet tropism was suggested to be associated with the disc degeneration and facet degeneration in the lumbar spine. However, little is known about the relationship between facet tropism and pathologic changes in the cervical spine and the mechanism behind. ⋯ Facet tropism with respect to the sagittal plane at the C5-C6 level increased the IDP and facet contact force under flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. The results suggested that facet tropism might be the anatomic risk factor of the development of cervical disc degeneration or facet degeneration. Future clinical studies are in need to verify the biomechanical impact of facet tropism on the development of degenerative changes in the cervical spine.