Ultrasonic characterization of trabecular bone: Two scatterers’ population model

The paper describes the computer simulations allowing investigating the properties of the ultrasound pulse-echo signal, as it is received on the transducer surface after scattering in trabecular bone. A novel computer simulation model provides better understanding of ultrasonic scattering in porous bone structure and it can be also used to yield an ideal environment in which, the effects of various parameters (scatterer mechanical and geometrical properties, scatterer’ concentration), the shape of incident wave and experimental conditions influencing the scattering of ultrasonic waves in trabecular bone structure can be examined individually. The results proved that the computer simulation has a particular relevance in studying scattering in cancellous bone which may be approximated as a collection of two populations of scatterers, cylindrical and spherical that imitate thick and thin trabeculae respectively.