Temporal Correlations Between Cervical Smooth Muscle Force Generation and Acoustic Backscatter Coefficient Parameters

In this work, we extend our novel understanding of smooth muscle in the uterine cervix by assessing if Quantitative Ultrasound (QUS)backscatter parameters correlate with muscle force generation using Pearson correlation coefficients r. Specific parameters investigated were the effective scatterer diameter (ESD)and average backscatter coefficient (ABSC), which quantify the frequency dependence and magnitude of backscatter, respectively. It was determined that correlations between force and ESD were substantial (median r=0.88)in time windows shortly after (5 minutes)administration of a contractile agent. This work provides evidence that QUS backscatter parameters may serve as a non-invasive biomarker of the cervical smooth muscle function.