Probing long bones with ultrasonic body waves

Abstract

This study uses seismological principles and techniques including waveform simulations and travel time calculations to reveal the nature of ultrasound wave propagation in long bones at small offsets (source-to-receiver distances) and times. Our experiments confirm the existence of reflected and converted body waves originating from wave interaction at the internal interfaces of a bone structure. We demonstrate that the bone ultrasound responses can be successfully simulated and properly interpreted based on a simple, horizontally layered approximation. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.