A STUDY OF ULTRASONIC WAVE PROPAGATION IN BONES

Abstract — In the present work the propaga-tion of ultrasonic waves in human bones is mod-eled by Biot equations introducing in them vis-coelasticity so as to take into account attenua-tion mechanisms; different models for the latter are introduced and compared. Also, Biot equa-tions are numerically solved using two dimen-sional finite elements. How different porosities affect elastic moduli, phase velocities, viscody-namic and intrinsic attenuation is also studied