Finite Element Analysis of Lumbar Spine (L3-L5) Loading under Pothole-Induced Vibration in Powered Two-Wheelers

Santosh Prasad; Avadhoot Nadgouda; Khyati Verma; Abhilash Singh

doi:10.2991/978-94-6239-764-4_7

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Finite Element Analysis of Lumbar Spine (L3-L5) Loading under Pothole-Induced Vibration in Powered Two-Wheelers

Authors

Santosh Prasad¹^{, *}, Avadhoot Nadgouda¹, Khyati Verma¹, Abhilash Singh¹

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal, Mangaluru, India

^*Corresponding author. Email: santosh.243md002@nitk.edu.in

Corresponding Author

Santosh Prasad

Available Online 4 September 2026.

DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6239-764-4_7 How to use a DOI?
Keywords: Finite Element Model; Lumbar spine; Powered two-wheeler; Road-induced vibration
Abstract: Powered two-wheelers (PTWs) constitute a dominant mode of transport in India, yet prolonged exposure to road irregularities subject’s riders to continuous whole-body vibration (WBV), increasing the risk of lower back pain (LBP). The present study investigates the biomechanical behaviour of the L3–L5 lumbar segment under pothole-induced loading using experimentally acquired vibration inputs. A three-dimensional CT-based lumbar model was reconstructed and analysed using finite element methods. Field measurements were conducted using an in-house triaxial inertial measurement unit mounted at the L4 level while traversing a standardized pothole at speeds of 10, 20, and 30 km/h. The recorded peak vertical accelerations were transformed into equivalent compressive loads for numerical evaluation. The predicted intradiscal pressure (IDP) at the L4–L5 disc ranged between 1.4293 and 2.5925 MPa, showing strong consistency with reference loading cases of 1000 N and 2000 N. The results confirm that real-world transient vibration peaks can be effectively approximated using peak-equivalent static loading. The developed framework offers a practical approach for assessing vibration-related spinal risk and evaluating mitigation strategies for PTW riders.
Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access: Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Mechanics, Materials and Mechatronics (ICM³ 2026)
Series: Atlantis Highlights in Engineering
Publication Date: 4 September 2026
ISBN: 978-94-6239-764-4
ISSN: 2589-4943
DOI: 10.2991/978-94-6239-764-4_7 How to use a DOI?
Open Access: Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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ris enw bib

TY  - CONF
AU  - Santosh Prasad
AU  - Avadhoot Nadgouda
AU  - Khyati Verma
AU  - Abhilash Singh
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/04
TI  - Finite Element Analysis of Lumbar Spine (L3-L5) Loading under Pothole-Induced Vibration in Powered Two-Wheelers
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Mechanics, Materials and Mechatronics (ICM³ 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 79
EP  - 88
SN  - 2589-4943
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-764-4_7
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-764-4_7
ID  - Prasad2026
ER  -

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