title: Fabric dependence of bone ultrasound.
abstract: Current diagnosis of bone loss and osteoporosis is based on the measurement of the Bone Mineral Density (BMD) or the apparent mass density. Unfortunately, in most clinical ultrasound densitometers: 1) measurements are often performed in a single anatomical direction, 2) only the first wave arriving to the ultrasound probe is characterized, and 3) the analysis of bone status is based on empirical relationships between measurable quantities such as Speed of Sound (SOS) and Broadband Ultrasound Attenuation (BUA) and the density of the porous medium. However, the existence of a second wave in cancellous bone has been reported, which is an unequivocal signature of poroelastic media, as predicted by Biot's poroelastic wave propagation theory. A fabric-dependent anisotropic poroelastic approach is empolyed as a theoretical framework to describe the microarchitectural-dependent relationship between measurable wave properties and the elastic constants of trabecular bone, and thus represents an alternative for bone quality assessment beyond BMD alone.
authors.affiliation: The New York Center for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering of The City College, and Graduate School of The City University of New York, NY 10031, USA. scowin@earthlink.net
authors.forename: Stephen C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Cowin
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cardoso
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016880:Anisotropy; D015519:Bone Density / Q000502:physiology*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003720:Densitometry / Q000379:methods*; D055119:Elastic Modulus / Q000502:physiology; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D016062:Porosity