Effect of Collagen and Mineral Content on the High-Frequency Ultrasonic Properties of Human Cancellous Bone

The technology surrounding ultrasonic bone assessment is evolving rapidly as investigators explore the utility of new ultrasonic parameters and different ultrasonic frequencies. This study had three main goals. The first was to perform in vitro measurements of the speed of sound (SOS) and normalized broadband ultrasonic attenuation (nBUA) in specimens of normal human cancellous bone using a 2.25 MHz broadband measurement system. The second was to explore the utility of a backscatter-based parameter called apparent integrated backscatter (AIB). The third goal was to investigate the roles that collagen and mineral content play in affecting each of these three ultrasonic parameters. This was accomplished by chemically treating the specimens to remove one or the other of these two important constituents of bone. Our results showed that in most cases SOS and nBUA correlated well (p<0.05) with bone mineral density (BMD) as measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT). In contrast, AIB did not correlate strongly with BMD. When the specimens were demineralized, decreases were produced in SOS (19–39%) and nBUA (44–58%). Changes produced in AIB were not significant except along the superoinferior direction, in which a 12% decrease was measured. When the specimens were decollagenized, decreases were produced in SOS (10–12%). In contrast, increases were produced in both nBUA (35–77%) and AIB (14–15%). From this study we conclude that high-frequency ultrasonic measurements may yield useful information about the content and organization of both collagen and mineral in cancellous bone.