A COMPARISON OF REFLECTION AND TRANSMISSION ULTRASONIC TECHNIQUES FORMEASUREMENT OF CANCELLOUS BONE ELASTICITY

A reflection ultrasonic technique, which offers several advantages ove r transmission ultrasonic techniques, has been described for elastic p roperty measurement of bone. Ultrasonic velocities from specimens of c ancellous bone were compared using a reflection ultrasound technique a nd the more traditional transmission ultrasonic technique. The two tec hniques were found to yield velocities which were reasonably well corr elated (r(2) = 0.74). However, a statistical difference was found betw een the line of identity and the regression between transmission and r eflection velocities (due to an offset in the intercept). In spite of differences in intercept between velocities measured by the two techni ques, significant correlation was found between the two methods, sugge sting that the reflection technique can measure wave velocities meanin gful to bone elasticity.