Simulation of Ultrasound Propagation in Long Bone with Depth-Varying Porosity

Axial transmission quantitative ultrasound is a potential technique for assessing bone properties. In this work, to describe the link between the bone microstructure (bone matrix properties as well as porosity), Biot's anisotropic poroelastic theory model was employed for modeling the cortical/cancellous bone. A semi-analytical finite element method (SAFE) has been developed for analyzing the wave propagation problem in long bone modeled as aporoelastic medium. The developed method allows us to calculate the reflection/transmission coefficient and dispersion relation of the bone plate with a depth-varying porosity coupled with fluids. Furthermore, simulation of transient waves propagating in the coupled soft tissue/bone/marrow system can efficiently be performed by using this approach.