Feasibility of Using Cortical Bone as an Ultrasound Reflector to Investigate the Relationship Between Fast and Slow Waves and Porosity: A 2D Simulation Study

Abstract

In the context of the ultrasound pulse-echo (PE) technique, extracting distinct fast and slow waves presents challenges due to their frequent overlap and interference with unwanted scattering waves within cancellous bone. This study aims to explore the viability of utilizing cortical bone as an ultrasound reflector for investigating correlations between fast and slow waves and porosity. Employing a 2-Dimensional (2D) simulation approach, diverse porosity levels within 2D cancellous bone models alongside cortical bone are examined. The bandlimited deconvolution method is applied to isolate fast and slow waves from the original waves. The correlation coefficient is used to compare the result between the original, fast, and slow waves. Results indicate enhanced correlations of fast (R2fast = 0.78) and slow (R2slow = 0.76) waves with porosity compared to the original waveform (R2original = 0.45). Incorporating fast and slow wave analyses could potentially enhance porosity estimation accuracy through the PE ultrasound measurements technique.