Evaluation of ultrasonic scattering in human cancellous bone by using a binary mixture model

Phys Med Biol. 2007 Jan 7;52(1):29-40. doi: 10.1088/0031-9155/52/1/003. Epub 2006 Dec 4.

Abstract

A weak scattering model based on small perturbations in a binary mixture is developed to estimate the ultrasonic scattering from human cancellous bone, which is modelled as a random isotropic continuum containing identical scatters. Ultrasonic scattering is determined by both velocity fluctuation and density fluctuation, when k(2)a(2) << 1 is satisfied. Two kinds of trabeculae thickness distributions, i.e. even distribution and Gauss distribution, are applied in the calculation of attenuation and backscattering. Frequency dependence of the backscatter coefficient is found to be Af(3.13) and Af(2.84) with the Gauss distribution and an even distribution, respectively. Both backscattering and attenuation change significantly against porosity for the case of high porosity. The predicted results are close to the measured ones from the literature. The errors of this theoretical model are also discussed in this paper.

MeSH terms

  • Anisotropy
  • Bone and Bones / diagnostic imaging*
  • Bone and Bones / pathology
  • Computer Simulation
  • Humans
  • Models, Biological
  • Models, Statistical
  • Normal Distribution
  • Osteoporosis / pathology
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Ultrasonics*
  • Ultrasonography