title: Computational evaluation of the compositional factors in fracture healing affecting ultrasound axial transmission measurements.
abstract: This work aimed at computationally evaluating the compositional factors in fracture healing affecting ultrasound axial transmission (UAT), using four numerical daily-changing healing models, representing more realistic clinical conditions. Using two-dimensional (2-D) simulations, a 1-MHz source and a receiver were positioned parallel to the bone surface to detect the first arriving signal (FAS). The time-of-flight of the FAS (TOF(FAS)) was found to be sensitive only to superficial modifications in the propagation path. It was also shown that callus mature bone better explained alone the variation in TOF(FAS) (R(2) >or= 0.70, p < 0.001). Better TOF(FAS) predictions are obtained when using the callus composition inside cortical fracture gap (R(2) = 0.98, p < 0.01). Callus composition could not well explain the changes in energy attenuation. These results suggest that UAT may be an important clinical tool for fracture healing assessment, identifying callus degree of mineralization and possible consolidation delays and nonunions.
authors.affiliation: UMPC Université Paris 6, UMR CNRS 7623, Laboratoire d'Imagerie Paramétrique, Paris, France. cbmfisio@gmail.com
authors.forename: Christiano Bittencourt
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Machado
authors.forename: Wagner Coelho
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: de Albuquerque Pereira
authors.forename: Maryline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Talmant
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Padilla
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laugier
mesh_terms: D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D017102:Fracture Healing / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D015233:Models, Statistical; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography