Assessment of bone structure and acoustic impedance in C3H and BL6 mice using high resolution scanning acoustic microscopy

Quantitative Analysis of Acoustic Pressure for Sonophoresis and Its Effect on Transdermal Penetration

Ultrasound facilitates the penetration of macromolecular compounds through the skin and offers a promising non-invasive technique for transdermal delivery. However, technical difficulties in quantifying ultrasound-related parameters have restricted further analysis of the sonophoresis mechanism. In this study, we devise a bolt-clamped Langevin transducer-based sonophoresis device that enables us to measure with a thin lead zirconate titanate (PZT) sensor. One-dimensional acoustic theory accounting for wave interaction at the skin interface indicates that the acoustic pressure and cavitation onset on the skin during sonophoresis are sensitive to the subcutaneous support, meaning that there is a strong need to perform the pressure measurement in an experimental environment replacing the human body. From a series of the experiments with our new device, the transdermal penetration of polystyrene, silica and gold nanoparticles is found to depend on the size and material of the particles, as well as the hardness of the subcutaneous support material. We speculate from the acoustic pressure measurement that the particles' penetration results from the mechanical action of cavitation.

Acoustic impedance changes in cartilage and subchondral bone due to primary arthrosis

This study aimed at assessing elastic changes of cartilage and subchondral bone in sections from osteoarthritic human tibia plateaus using a 50-MHz scanning acoustic microscope (SAM). Samples were obtained from 28 human individuals during alloplastic implant surgery. Sagittal sections were explored using a time-resolved acoustic microscope in hyperosmolar (2.5 molar) saline solution at 25 degrees C. Cartilage and bone impedance distributions were evaluated as a function of the distance to the cartilage-bone interface. The degree of cartilage degeneration was derived from histological and immunohistochemical analyses. The mean impedance value in cartilage was 2.12+/-0.02 Mrayl. The layered cartilage structure was revealed by means of distinctly different impedance values in most samples. Generally, values were higher close to the bone interface and decreased continuously towards the cartilage surface. Higher grades of degeneration show a loss of the layered structure and remarkable cartilage surface undulations. The mean impedance value in subchondral bone was 6.28+/-0.54 Mrayl. A significant increase of the acoustic impedance within the first 150 microm relative to cartilage-bone interface was observed in 65.5% of the investigated sections. We hypothesize that the impedance increase close to the bone cartilage boundary is an indicator for subchondral sclerosis.

Microelastic imaging of bone

Several high-frequency ultrasound techniques have been developed during the last decade with the intention of assessing elastic properties of bone at the tissue level. The basic measurement principles can be divided into: 1) measurement of the compressional wave velocity in thin tissue sections; 2) measurement of surface acoustic wave velocities in thick sections; and 3) derivation of the acoustic impedance from the confocal reflection amplitude in thick sections. In this paper, the 3 principles are described with example measurements given in the frequency range from 50 MHz to 1.2 GHz. The measurements were made with 2 microscopes operating in the pulse-echo mode, either with frequencies up to 200 MHz and time-resolved detection or between 100 MHz and 2 GHz and amplitude detection. The methods are compared and their application potentials and limitations are discussed with respect to the hierarchical structure of cortical bone. Mapping of the confocal reflection amplitude has superior capabilities for deriving quantitative elastic and structural parameters in the heterogeneous bone material. Even at low frequencies (50 MHz), the mineralized tissue matrix can be separated from the larger pores (Haversian canals), and the elastic coefficient in the probing direction can be measured in 2 dimensions. Depending on the type of sample surface preparation (flat or cylindrically shaped), local distribution of a single elastic coefficient or the average transverse isotropic stiffness tensor can be derived. With frequencies in the GHz range, the lamellar bone structure can be analyzed. However, at one GHz, the acoustic wavelength is still one order of magnitude larger than the individual mineralized collagen fibrils. Although the thickness of a lamellar unit can easily be assessed from the acoustic image, the derivation of the anisotropic elastic properties of the mineralized collagen fibrils as well as the detailed structure of a lamella can only be accomplished with further model assumptions.

Variations of microstructure, mineral density and tissue elasticity in B6/C3H mice

200-MHz scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) and synchrotron radiation microCT (SR-microCT) were used to assess microstructural parameters, acoustic impedance Z and tissue degree of mineralization of bone (DMB) in site-matched regions of interest in femoral bone of two inbred strains. Transverse femoral sections taken from 5 C57BL/6J@Ico (B6) and 5 C3H/HeJ@Ico (C3H) mice (5.5 months old) were explored. Mass density rho, elastic coefficient c(11) and Young's modulus E(1) were locally derived in the distal epiphysis, distal metaphysis for trabecular bone and mid-diaphysis for cortical bone using a rule-of-mixture model. Structural parameter estimations obtained from X-ray tomographic and acoustic images were almost identical. Both strains had the same bone diameter, but the C3H mice had greater cortical thickness and smaller cancellous diameter than did B6 mice. The average DMB and impedance values were in the range between 1.13 and 1.33 g cm(-3) and 5.8 and 7.8 Mrayl, respectively. All tissue parameters were lower in B6 mice than in C3H mice. However, interstrain differences of DMB were much less (up to 3.8%) than differences of Z (up to 13.2%). SAM and SR-microCT fulfill the requirement for a simultaneous evaluation of cortical bone microstructure and material properties at the tissue level. However, SAM provides a quantitative estimate of elastic properties at the tissue level that cannot be captured by SR-microCT. The strong differences in the measured acoustic impedances among the two inbred strains indicate that the impedance is a good parameter to detect genetic variations of the skeletal phenotype in small animal models.

Assessment of anisotropic tissue elasticity of cortical bone from high-resolution, angular acoustic measurements

Assessment of anisotropic elastic properties at the tissue level is still one of the major challenges in bone research. In previous studies, bone sections were cut in different directions relative to a principle axis of symmetry. This causes a high preparation and measurement effort. We have developed a new acoustic scanning procedure that allows one to measure the angular dependence of the acoustic impedance of cylindrically shaped samples (diameter: 4.4 mm) with a single measurement. Our scanning acoustic microscope was equipped with a rotational stage, and a scanning procedure was developed that measures the surface reflection of the rotating cylinder. It was shown in a previous study that the acoustic impedance derived from the reflection coefficient is highly correlated with the elastic coefficient in the probing direction. From the angular reflection, the independent elastic coefficients were derived using assumptions of transverse isotropy and continuum micromechanical model constraints. This method was applied to the inspection of human femoral bone samples. Four cylinders were prepared from the anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral regions. The measurements were performed with a 50 MHz transducer, providing a lateral resolution of 23 microm. Remarkable structural and elastic variations were observed between the four samples. The means and standard deviations of the derived elastic coefficients were: c33 = 29.9 +/- 5.0 GPa, c11 = 21.9 +/- 2.1 GPa, c12 = 9.2 +/- 1.5 GPa, c13 = 9.7 +/- 1.6 GPa, and c44 = 6.7 +/- 1.2 GPa. The results demonstrate that microstructural and anisotropic elastic tissue parameters can be assessed by ultrasound in very small bone samples.