Study of Ultrasonic Guided Wave Propagation in Bone Composite Structures for Revealing Osteoporosis Diagnostic Indicators

Abstract

Tubular bones are layered waveguide structures composed of soft tissue, cortical and porous bone tissue, and bone marrow. Ultrasound diagnostics of such biocomposites are based on the guided wave excitation and registration by piezoelectric transducers applied to the waveguide surface. Meanwhile, the upper sublayers shield the diseased interior, creating difficulties in extracting information about its weakening from the surface signals. To overcome these difficulties, we exploit the advantages of the Green’s matrix-based approach and adopt the methods and algorithms developed for the guided wave structural health monitoring of industrial composites. Based on the computer models implementing this approach and experimental measurements performed on bone phantoms, we analyze the feasibility of using different wave characteristics to detect hidden diagnostic signs of developing osteoporosis. It is shown that, despite the poor excitability of the most useful modes associated with the diseased inner layers, the use of the improved matrix pencil method combined with objective functions based on the Green’s matrix allows for effective monitoring of changes in the elastic moduli of the deeper sublayers. We also note the sensitivity and monotonic dependence of the resonance response frequencies on the degradation of elastic properties, making them a promising indicator for osteoporosis diagnostics.