VIBRATION, SONIC AND ULTRASONIC WAVE-PROPAGATION ANALYSIS FOR THE DETECTION OF OSTEOPOROSIS

The feasibility of vibration analysis and wave propagation analysis fo r the detection of osteoporosis is discussed. The relationship between the resonant frequencies, obtained by vibration analysis, and geometr ical and material properties of long bones is found using a simple bea m model. This relationship was verified experimentally on 142 excised bones. In vitro measurements for the detection of osteoporosis were pe rformed on excised bones. Using a specific protocol for vibration and ultrasound measurements, a population of osteoporotic patients and age -matched controls were measured. From these measurements was concluded that the bending rigidity, calculated for the resonant frequencies, i n osteoporotic patients had decreased as compared to the control group . Also the ultrasound velocity in the tibial cortex was lower in the o steoporotic group.