The effect of cortical bone mineralization in ultrasound axial transmission: On the possibility of fracture healing monitoring

The present work aims at studying the effect of cortical bone mineralization on ultrasound axial transmission (UAT) measurements, using experiments and numerical simulations. To this end, a reverse fracture healing approach is proposed, using an in vitro bovine femur sample. A demineralization protocol was applied, and the time-of-flight of the wave propagating in axial transmission measured. Numerical simulations of the experimental situation were also implemented. Mineralization degree may influence ultrasound measurements, and it may be a promising tool for fracture healing assessment.