Detecting the mechanical properties of the cortical bone is of growing interest in the orthopedic field. Indeed, this detection could bring crucial information to assess risk of fracture, presence of micro cracks or even screen osteoporosis. Dual X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) and Quantitative Tomography (QCT) are currently the two main tools to detect these properties. These techniques are not perfect and present limitations, thus the DXA efficiency is questioned in the orthopedic field and QCT is using X-ray radiation which is problematic for a screening tool.
Ultrasonic guided waves have been used for many years to detect cracks, screen geometry and mechanical properties of cylinder, pipes and other structures in nondestructive testing industry. Moreover, these waves are inexpensive to use and radiation-free, making them very promising to detect mechanical properties of the bone. For less than a decade, numerous research teams have investigated to apply these techniques to the medical field by propagating ultrasonic guided waves in bones.
The present work aims to demonstrate the potential of ultrasonic guided waves for the assessment of cortical bone mechanical properties evolution. It starts with a general introduction of ultrasonic guided waves and a literature review of the different techniques using ultrasonic guided waves for the evaluation of bone properties. The paper wrote during my masters is then presented. The aim of the paper was to investigate the transduction of ultrasonic guided waves modes sensitive to the deterioration of cortical bone mechanical properties. Finite element models were used to simulate the waves propagation on two bone models. The two models were made of a cortical shell and either filled with bone marrow or trabecular bone. These two models geometry were suited for both circumferential and longitudinal ultrasonic guided waves propagation. Results, where three different modes were detected, were compared to experimental and theoretical results. The sensitivity of each mode was studied and lead to a conclusion on the potential for each mode to screen fracture risk or the presence of micro cracks.
| Date | 28 Apr 2016 |
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| Original language | French |
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| Awarding Institution | - École de technologie supérieure
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| Supervisor | Pierre Bélanger (Supervisor) & Julio Fernandes (Co-supervisor) |
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Abid, A. (Author),
Bélanger (Supervisor) & Fernandes (Co-supervisor),
28 Apr 2016Student thesis: Master's thesis › Master in Engineering: Engineering