Figure 7
Contact separation (distance between contacting surfaces, mm) on the inferior endplate at each intervertebral disc space (NB. For clarity of visualizing the contact distribution, the superior endplate is not shown). A positive contour value indicates the endplates are open (white – grey); a negative contour value indicates the endplates are closed (black). The white bands on the edge of an endplate indicate disc spaces where the superior vertebra has displaced laterally compared to the inferior vertebra (ie. overhangs), thus the endplates are no longer in contact.