Abstract
Incorporating actual bone movement in kinematic pipelines has shown to reduce the influence of soft tissue artefacts (STA), a critical source of error, in clinical biomechanical analysis. Ultrasound imaging, a non-ionising and cost-effective imaging modality, has been extensively integrated in biomechanics to locate the underlying bone. However, limitations of needing a probe to be held at the location to be imaged and the need for coupling liquid, impedes their widespread applicability. In this study we explore the feasibility of applying another non-ionising and cost-effective imaging modality, microwave imaging, in biomechanics. By collecting data, from both simulated and experimental tissue-mimicking phantoms, under conditions aimed to emulate a wearable system, our results indicate that the underlying bone can be detected from the skin surface using microwave imaging. We believe our findings support the fidelity of microwave imaging as an alternative imaging modality to ultrasound imaging and underscore the need for further research in integrating microwave imaging in biomechanics.