Abstract
This study aims to introduce the protocol for ultrasonic backscatter measurements of musculoskeletal properties based on a novel ultrasonic backscatter bone diagnostic (UBBD) instrument. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) can be adopted to measure bone mineral density (BMD) in the hip, spine, legs and the whole body. The muscle and fat mass in the legs and the whole body can be also calculated by DXA body composition analysis. Based on the proposed protocol for backscatter measurements by UBBD, ultrasonic backscatter signals can be measured in vivo, deriving three backscatter parameters [apparent integral backscatter (AIB), backscatter signal peak amplitude (BSPA) and the corresponding arrival time (BSPT)]. AIB may provide important diagnostic information about bone properties. BSPA and BSPT may be important indicators of muscle and fat properties. The standardized backscatter measurement protocol of the UBBD instrument may have the potential to evaluate musculoskeletal characteristics, providing help for promoting the application of the backscatter technique in the clinical diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), such as osteoporosis and muscular atrophy.
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Data, materials and code availability
They were available upon reasonable request to the corresponding authors.
Abbreviations
- MSDs:
-
Musculoskeletal disorders
- DXA:
-
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry
- BMD:
-
Bone mineral density
- UBBD:
-
Ultrasonic backscatter bone diagnostic instrument
- AIB:
-
Apparent integral backscatter
- BSPA :
-
Backscatter signal peak amplitude
- BSPT :
-
Backscatter signal peak arrival time
- QUS:
-
Quantitative ultrasound
- SOI:
-
Signal of interest
- ROI:
-
Region of interest
- BMI:
-
Body mass index
- RW:
-
Reflected wave
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Funding
This study was supported by Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Major Project (2017SHZDZX01), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (12034005, 12122403, 11827808, 11874289), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2021M690709), the Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Plan (20S31901300), the Shanghai Rising-Star Program (21QC1400100) and the China Scholarship Council (202106100122).
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All authors contributed to the conception and design of this study. Material preparation and collection were conducted by DB, LS, BL, YL and SW. DB drafted the manuscript. CL, LL, JL and DT revised and commented on the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Bi, D., Shi, L., Li, B. et al. The Protocol of Ultrasonic Backscatter Measurements of Musculoskeletal Properties. Phenomics 4, 72–80 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43657-023-00122-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43657-023-00122-0