WHAT DOES ULTRASONIC PROPERTIES OF HUMAN CANCELLOUS BONE TELL US ON MINERAL DENSITY AND MICROARCHITECTURE

Abstract
Quantitative ultrasound methods have become increasingly important in the bone densitometry field. However, the interaction between bone and ultrasound is not fully understood yet. This paper is a summary of recent work conducted in our group with the goal to provide experimental data for helping to understand the role of bone density and microstructure in determining ultrasonic backscatter in comparison to ultrasonic properties measured in transmission. Because the impact of microstructure is limited for measured ultrasonic variables at the calcaneus, quantitative ultrasound at the heel is now considered as a surrogate for bone mineral density (BMD). The data also suggest that quantitative ultrasound performed at the proximal femur may be appropriate to assess hip bone strength. In addition, the data on backscatter support the idea that backscatter measurement, if combined with appropriate models, may provide a direct assessment of bone micro-architecture and could be an adjunct to transmission measurement. As BMD at the hip currently represents the gold standard for osteoporosis diagnosis and fracture risk prediction, an alternative quantitative ultrasound method for predicting hip fracture risk with advantages such as low cost, no ionizing radiation or potential enhanced signal analysis warrants further work.

Key words
backscatter, bone, micro-architecture, osteoporosis, ultrasound

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Bibliografía del artículo

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