Ultrasonic wave properties of human bone marrow in elderly people

摘要

Ultrasonic wave properties of human bone marrow in elderly people were measured by a conventional ultrasound pulse technique. In the MHz range, temperature dependence of wave properties were experimentally studied. Both sound velocity and attenuation decreased with increasing temperature. The site dependence (femur and tibia) and individual difference were negligible. The slopes of the attenuation were estimated by a power law (α=αf). The values of the exponent n were in the range of 2.0 - 2.3. We also investigated two wave phenomenon in the cancellous bone filled with the human bone marrow. The slow wave velocity decreased with increasing temperature, reflecting the characteristics of bone marrow.