A noninvasive ultrasonic diagnostic method for determining the mechanical properties of ovine tibia under repetitive loading

Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is pain or discomfort in the leg from repetitive running on hard surfaces or forcible excessive use of foot flexors. Early diagnosis is extremely critical for proper treatment and reduces complications. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) has been widely used to assess bone quality non-invasively, it is also radiation free, repeatable, safe, relatively accurate, and suitable for multiple skeleton sites. QUS can provide useful information in diagnosing MTSS and predicting fracture risk. Studies have shown that ultrasound correlates not only with the bone density but also with the bone stiffness . This paper evaluates the ability of QUS in early prediction of bone attenuation under repetitive loading. Ovine tibias were scanned by a scanning confocal acoustic diagnostic (SCAD) system to determine the mechanical property changes after cyclic loading. SCAD revealed its ability of quantifying changes in mechanical properties at the tibial shell under cyclic loading.