Ultrasonic pulse waves in cancellous bone analyzed by finite-difference time-domain methods

The trabecular frame of cancellous bone has a high degree of porosity, anisotropy and inhomogeneity. The propagation of ultrasonic waves in cancellous bone is significantly affected by the trabecular structure. In this paper, two two-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) methods, which were the popular viscoelastic FDTD method for a viscoelastic medium and Biot's FDTD method for a fluid-saturated porous medium, have been applied to numerically analyze the ultrasonic pulse waves propagating through bovine cancellous bone in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the trabecular alignment. The Biot's fast and slow longitudinal waves, which were identified in previous experiments for the propagation parallel to the trabecular orientation, could be analyzed using Biot's FDTD method rather than the viscoelastic FDTD method. For the single wave propagation in the perpendicular direction, on the other hand, the viscoelastic FDTD result was found to be in more good agreement with the experimental result.     

Numerical and experimental study on the wave attenuation in bone--FDTD simulation of ultrasound propagation in cancellous bone

In cancellous bone, longitudinal waves often separate into fast and slow waves depending on the alignment of bone trabeculae in the propagation path. This interesting phenomenon becomes an effective tool for the diagnosis of osteoporosis because wave propagation behavior depends on the bone structure. Since the fast wave mainly propagates in trabeculae, this wave is considered to reflect the structure of trabeculae. For a new diagnosis method using the information of this fast wave, therefore, it is necessary to understand the generation mechanism and propagation behavior precisely. In this study, the generation process of fast wave was examined by numerical simulations using elastic finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method and experimental measurements. As simulation models, three-dimensional X-ray computer tomography (CT) data of actual bone samples were used. Simulation and experimental results showed that the attenuation of fast wave was always higher in the early state of propagation, and they gradually decreased as the wave propagated in bone. This phenomenon is supposed to come from the complicated propagating paths of fast waves in cancellous bone.     

In vitro estimation of fast and slow wave parameters of thin trabecular bone using space-alternating generalized expectation-maximization algorithm

In testing cancellous bone using ultrasound, two types of longitudinal Biot’s waves are observed in the received signal. These are known as fast and slow waves and their appearance depend on the alignment of bone trabeculae in the propagation path and the thickness of the specimen under test (SUT). They can be used as an effective tool for the diagnosis of osteoporosis because wave propagation behavior depends on the bone structure. However, the identification of these waves in the received signal can be difficult to achieve.In this study, ultrasonic wave propagation in a 4 mm thick bovine cancellous bone in the direction parallel to the trabecular alignment is considered. The observed Biot’s fast and slow longitudinal waves are superimposed; which makes it difficult to extract any information from the received signal. These two waves can be separated using the space alternating generalized expectation maximization (SAGE) algorithm. The latter has been used mainly in speech processing.In this new approach, parameters such as, arrival time, center frequency, bandwidth, amplitude, phase and velocity of each wave are estimated. The B-Scan images and its associated A-scans obtained through simulations using Biot’s finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method are validated experimentally using a thin bone sample obtained from the femoral-head of a 30 months old bovine.     

Propagation of two longitudinal waves in a cancellous bone with the closed pore boundary

Ultrasound propagation in cancellous bone (porous media) under the condition of closed pore boundaries was investigated. A cancellous bone and two plate-like cortical bones obtained from a racehorse were prepared. A water-immersion ultrasound technique in the MHz range and a three-dimensional elastic finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method were used to investigate the waves. The experiments and simulations showed a clear separation of the incident longitudinal wave into fast and slow waves. The findings advance the evaluation of bones based on the two-wave phenomenon for in vivo assessment.     

Determining attenuation properties of interfering fast and slow ultrasonic waves in cancellous bone

Previous studies have shown that interference between fast waves and slow waves can lead to observed negative dispersion in cancellous bone. In this study, the effects of overlapping fast and slow waves on measurements of the apparent attenuation as a function of propagation distance are investigated along with methods of analysis used to determine the attenuation properties. Two methods are applied to simulated data that were generated based on experimentally acquired signals taken from a bovine specimen. The first method uses a time-domain approach that was dictated by constraints imposed by the partial overlap of fast and slow waves. The second method uses a frequency-domain log-spectral subtraction technique on the separated fast and slow waves. Applying the time-domain analysis to the broadband data yields apparent attenuation behavior that is larger in the early stages of propagation and decreases as the wave travels deeper. In contrast, performing frequency-domain analysis on the separated fast waves and slow waves results in attenuation coefficients that are independent of propagation distance. Results suggest that features arising from the analysis of overlapping two-mode data may represent an alternate explanation for the previously reported apparent dependence on propagation distance of the attenuation coefficient of cancellous bone.     

Inverse problems in cancellous bone: estimation of the ultrasonic properties of fast and slow waves using Bayesian probability theory

Quantitative ultrasonic characterization of cancellous bone can be complicated by artifacts introduced by analyzing acquired data consisting of two propagating waves (a fast wave and a slow wave) as if only one wave were present. Recovering the ultrasonic properties of overlapping fast and slow waves could therefore lead to enhancement of bone quality assessment. The current study uses Bayesian probability theory to estimate phase velocity and normalized broadband ultrasonic attenuation (nBUA) parameters in a model of fast and slow wave propagation. Calculations are carried out using Markov chain Monte Carlo with simulated annealing to approximate the marginal posterior probability densities for parameters in the model. The technique is applied to simulated data, to data acquired on two phantoms capable of generating two waves in acquired signals, and to data acquired on a human femur condyle specimen. The models are in good agreement with both the simulated and experimental data, and the values of the estimated ultrasonic parameters fall within expected ranges.     

Cancellous bone analysis with modified least squares Prony's method and chirp filter: phantom experiments and simulation

The presence of two longitudinal waves in porous media is predicted by Biot's theory and has been confirmed experimentally in cancellous bone. When cancellous bone samples are interrogated in through-transmission, these two waves can overlap in time. Previously, the Modified Least-Squares Prony's (MLSP) method was validated for estimation of amplitudes, attenuation coefficients, and phase velocities of fast and slow waves, but tended to overestimate phase velocities by up to about 5%. In the present paper, a pre-processing chirp filter to mitigate the phase velocity bias is derived. The MLSP/chirp filter (MLSPCF) method was tested for decomposition of a 500 kHz-center-frequency signal containing two overlapping components: one passing through a low-density-polyethylene plate (fast wave) and another passing through a cancellous-bone-mimicking phantom material (slow wave). The chirp filter reduced phase velocity bias from 100 m/s (5.1%) to 69 m/s (3.5%) (fast wave) and from 29 m/s (1.9%) to 10 m/s (0.7%) (slow wave). Similar improvements were found for 1) measurements in polycarbonate (fast wave) and a cancellous-bone-mimicking phantom (slow wave), and 2) a simulation based on parameters mimicking bovine cancellous bone. The MLSPCF method did not offer consistent improvement in estimates of attenuation coefficient or amplitude.     

Estimation of critical and viscous frequencies for Biot theory in cancellous bone

The use of Biot theory for modelling ultrasonic wave propagation in porous media involves the definition of a "critical frequency" above which both fast and slow compressional waves will, in principle, propagate. Critical frequencies have been evaluated for healthy and osteoporotic cancellous bone filled with water or marrow, using data from the literature. The range of pore sizes in bone gives rise to a critical frequency band rather than a single critical frequency, the mean of which is lower for osteoporotic bone than normal bone. However, the critical frequency is a theoretical concept and previous researchers considered a more realistic "viscous frequency" above which both fast and slow waves may be experimentally observed. Viscous frequencies in bone are found to be several orders of magnitude greater than calculated critical frequencies. Whereas two waves may well be observed at all ultrasonic frequencies for water-filled cancellous bone at 20 degrees C, it is probable megahertz frequencies would be needed for observation of two waves in vivo.     

Ultrasonic wave propagation in human cancellous bone: application of Biot theory

Ultrasonic wave propagation in human cancellous bone is considered. Reflection and transmission coefficients are derived for a slab of cancellous bone having an elastic frame using Biot's theory modified by the model of Johnson et al. [J. Fluid Mech. 176, 379-402 (1987)] for viscous exchange between fluid and structure. Numerical simulations of transmitted waves in the time domain are worked out by varying the modified Biot parameters. The variation is applied to the governing parameters and is about 20%. From this study, we can gain an insight into the sensitivity of each physical parameter used in this theory. Some parameters play an important role in slow-wave wave form, such as the viscous characteristic length lambda and pore fluid bulk modulus Kf. However, other parameters play an important role in the fast-wave wave form, such as solid density rhos and shear modulus N. We also note from these simulations that some parameters such as porosity phi, tortuosity alpha(infinty), thickness, solid bulk modulus Ks, and skeletal compressibility frame Kb, play an important role simultaneously in both fast and slow wave forms compared to other parameters which act on the wave form of just one of the two waves. The sensitivity of the modified Biot parameters with respect to the transmitted wave depends strongly on the coupling between the solid and fluid phases of the cancellous bone. Experimental results for slow and fast waves transmitted through human cancellous bone samples are given and compared with theoretical predictions.     

Fast wave ultrasonic propagation in trabecular bone: numerical study of the influence of porosity and structural anisotropy

Our goal is to assess the potential of computational methods as an alternative to analytical models to predict the two longitudinal wave modes observed in cancellous bone and predicted by the Biot theory. A three-dimensional (3D) finite-difference time-domain method is coupled with 34 human femoral trabecular microstructures measured using microcomputed tomography. The main trabecular alignment (MTA) and the degree of anisotropy (DA) were assessed for all samples. DA values were comprised between 1.02 and 1.9. The influence of bone volume fraction (BV/TV) between 5% and 25% on the properties of the fast and slow waves was studied using a dedicated image processing algorithm to modify the initial 3D microstructures. A heuristic method was devised to determine when both wave modes are time separated. The simulations (performed in three perpendicular directions) predicted that both waves generally overlap in time for a direction of propagation perpendicular to the MTA. When these directions are parallel, both waves are separated in time for samples with high DA and BV/TV values. A relationship was found between the least bone volume fraction required for the observation of nonoverlapping waves and the degree of anisotropy: The higher the DA, the lower the least BV/TV.     

Ultrasonic characterization of human cancellous bone using the Biot theory: inverse problem

This paper concerns the ultrasonic characterization of human cancellous bone samples by solving the inverse problem using experimental transmitted signals. The ultrasonic propagation in cancellous bone is modeled using the Biot theory modified by the Johnson et al. model for viscous exchange between fluid and structure. The sensitivity of the Young modulus and the Poisson ratio of the skeletal frame is studied showing their effect on the fast and slow wave forms. The inverse problem is solved numerically by the least squares method. Five parameters are inverted: the porosity, tortuosity, viscous characteristic length, Young modulus, and Poisson ratio of the skeletal frame. The minimization of the discrepancy between experiment and theory is made in the time domain. The inverse problem is shown to be well posed, and its solution to be unique. Experimental results for slow and fast waves transmitted through human cancellous bone samples are given and compared with theoretical predictions.     

Investigation of an anisotropic tortuosity in a biot model of ultrasonic propagation in cancellous bone

The modeling of ultrasonic propagation in cancellous bone is relevant to the study of clinical bone assessment. Historical experiments revealed the importance of both the viscous effects of bone marrow and the anisotropy of the porous microstructure. Of those propagation models previously applied to cancellous bone, Biot's theory incorporates viscosity, but has only been applied in isotropic form, while Schoenberg's anisotropic model does not include viscosity. In this paper we present an approach that incorporates the merits of both models, by utilizing the tortuosity, a key parameter describing pore architecture. An angle-dependent tortuosity for a layered structure is used in Biot's theory to generate the "Stratified Biot Model" for cancellous bone, which is compared with published bone data. While the Stratified Biot model was inferior to Schoenberg's model for slow wave velocity prediction, the proposed model improved agreement fast wave velocity at high propagation angles, particularly when sorted for porosity. An attempt was made to improve the fast wave agreement at low angles by introducing an angle-dependent Young's Modulus, which, while improving the agreement of predicted fast wave velocity at low angles, degraded agreement at high angles. In this paper the utility of the tortuosity in characterizing the architecture of cancellous bone is highlighted.     

Numerical simulation of wave propagation in cancellous bone

Numerical simulation of wave propagation is performed through 31 3D volumes of trabecular bone. These volumes were reconstructed from high synchrotron microtomography experiments and are used as the input geometry in a simulation software developed in our laboratory. The simulation algorithm accounts for propagation into both the saturating fluid and bone but absorption is not taken into account. We show that 3D simulation predicts phenomena observed experimentally in trabecular bones : linear frequency dependence of attenuation, increase of attenuation and speed of sound with the bone volume fraction, negative phase velocity dispersion in most of the specimens, propagation of fast and slow wave depending on the orientation of the trabecular network compared to the direction of propagation of the ultrasound. Moreover, the predicted attenuation is in very close agreement with the experimental one measured on the same specimens. Coupling numerical simulation with real bone architecture therefore provides a powerful tool to investigate the physics of ultrasound propagation in trabecular structures.     

Phase and group velocities of fast and slow compressional waves in trabecular bone

This Letter is an extension to a multilayer model of porous bone first proposed by Hughes et al. [Ultrasound Med. Biol. 25, 811-821 (1999)]. Both slow and fast compressional waves propagate when the acoustic wave propagation is parallel to the trabecular alignment. However, a slow wave disappears at high refraction angles. To explain this phenomenon, the multilayer model is extended to compute group velocity surface and arrival times with an angle. Two major effects are highlighted as the refraction angle increases. First, the energy of the slow wave is refracted from the phase propagation direction. Second, the signals of fast and slow waves overlap. As a consequence, the slow wave may not be observed for a refraction angle greater than 40 degrees, which is in agreement with previous experimental data published by Hughes et al. and others.     

Acoustic properties of wood in tridimensional representation of slowness surfaces

Mechanical behaviour of wood considered as an orthotropic solid can be determined with ultrasonic technique. The propagation phenomena in wood are complex and theoretically are regulated by Christoffel's equation. Three type of waves can propagate in wood. During the propagation phenomena three slowness sheets are observed, corresponding to a fast longitudinal wave (inner sheet) and two shear waves, one fast and one slow (outer sheet). These waves are submitted continuously to mode conversion phenomena. The polarization angle changes when the propagation direction is out of the principal directions of symmetry of the material. In this article an analysis of the propagation phenomena in tridimensional representation is performed for different wood species. This approach contributes to the understanding of dynamic aspects of particle displacement associated with the wave fronts propagation. Globally, the anisotropy of each species, expressed by their acoustical behaviour is well represented.     

Ultrasonic slow waves in air-saturated cancellous bone

This paper describes preliminary observations of ultrasonic wave propagation in air-saturated defatted cancellous bone from the human vertebra. Using a broadband pulse transmission system, attenuation and phase velocity were measured over a wide frequency range (100 kHz-1 MHz). The observed behaviour was consistent with that expected for the decoupled slow wave predicted by Biot's theory. Velocity was lower than that of free air, and there was marked frequency-dependent attenuation and velocity dispersion. The tortuosity (alpha) of the trabecular microstructure was estimated from the high frequency limit of the dispersion curve, with a mean value of alpha = 1.040 +/- 0.004 obtained in five specimens. Ultrasonic measurements in air represent a valuable new approach, capable of yielding parameters that directly characterise bone structure. Furthermore, they may give useful insights into wave propagation in bone in vivo, where the trabecular framework is saturated with marrow fat rather than air.     

The finite element method for micro-scale modeling of ultrasound propagation in cancellous bone

Quantitative ultrasound for bone assessment is based on the correlations between ultrasonic parameters and the properties (mechanical and physical) of cancellous bone. To elucidate the correlations, understanding the physics of ultrasound in cancellous bone is demanded. Micro-scale modeling of ultrasound propagation in cancellous bone using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method has been so far utilized as one of the approaches in this regard. However, the FDTD method accompanies two disadvantages: staircase sampling of cancellous bone by finite difference grids leads to generation of wave artifacts at the solid–fluid interface inside the bone; additionally, this method cannot explicitly satisfy the needed perfect-slip conditions at the interface. To overcome these disadvantages, the finite element method (FEM) is proposed in this study. Three-dimensional finite element models of six water-saturated cancellous bone samples with different bone volume were created. The values of speed of sound (SOS) and broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA) were calculated through the finite element simulations of ultrasound propagation in each sample. Comparing the results with other experimental and simulation studies demonstrated the capabilities of the FEM for micro-scale modeling of ultrasound in water-saturated cancellous bone.     

Fabric dependence of quasi-waves in anisotropic porous media

Assessment of bone loss and osteoporosis by ultrasound systems is based on the speed of sound and broadband ultrasound attenuation of a single wave. However, the existence of a second wave in cancellous bone has been reported and its existence is an unequivocal signature of poroelastic media. To account for the fact that ultrasound is sensitive to microarchitecture as well as bone mineral density (BMD), a fabric-dependent anisotropic poroelastic wave propagation theory was recently developed for pure wave modes propagating along a plane of symmetry in an anisotropic medium. Key to this development was the inclusion of the fabric tensor--a quantitative stereological measure of the degree of structural anisotropy of bone--into the linear poroelasticity theory. In the present study, this framework is extended to the propagation of mixed wave modes along an arbitrary direction in anisotropic porous media called quasi-waves. It was found that differences between phase and group velocities are due to the anisotropy of the bone microarchitecture, and that the experimental wave velocities are more accurately predicted by the poroelastic model when the fabric tensor variable is taken into account. This poroelastic wave propagation theory represents an alternative for bone quality assessment beyond BMD.     

Ultrasonic wave propagation in cancellous and cortical bone: prediction of some experimental results by Biot's theory.

Pulse transmission ultrasound was used to determine the longitudinal wave speed along the direction of trabecular alignment in 32 water-saturated anisotropic tibial bovine cancellous bone samples and in one cortical bone sample also from the bovine tibia. These results are compared to published ultrasound wave-speed data obtained from bovine femoral specimens. Nonlinear regression was used to fit Biot's theory to the data. The correlation coefficient for regression analysis between the experimental ultrasound velocities and the velocities predicted by Biot's theory was r = 0.78.     

含少量气泡流体饱和孔隙介质中的弹性波

考虑孔隙流体中含有少量气泡,且气泡在声波作用下线性振动,研究声波在这种孔隙介质中的传播特性.本文先由流体质量守恒方程和孔隙度微分与流体压力微分的关系推导出了含有气泡形式的渗流连续性方程;在处理渗流连续性方程中的气体体积分数时间导数时,应用Commander气泡线性振动理论导出气体体积分数时间导数与流体压强时间导数的关系,进而得到了修正的Biot形式的渗流连续性方程;最后结合Biot动力学方程求得了含气泡形式的位移场方程,便可得到两类纵波及一类横波的声学特性.通过对快、慢纵波的频散、衰减及两类波引起的流体位移与固体位移关系的考察,发现少量气泡的存在对快纵波和慢纵波的传播特性影响较大.