Frequency-dependent attenuation and backscatter coefficients in bovine trabecular bone from 0.2 to 1.2 MHz

The frequency-dependent attenuation and backscatter coefficients were measured in 25 bovine femoral trabecular bone samples from 0.2 to 1.2 MHz. When the average attenuation coefficient was fitted to a nonlinear power law alpha(f) - alpha(0) + alpha(1)f(n), the exponent n was found to be 1.65. In contrast, the average backscatter coefficient was fitted to a power law eta(f) = eta(1)f(n) n and the exponent n was measured as 3.25. The apparent bone density was significantly correlated with the parameter alpha(1) (0.2-0.7 MHz: r = 0.852, 0.6-1.2 MHz: r = 0.832) as well as the backscatter coefficient (0.5 MHz: r = 0.751, 1.0 MHz: r = 0.808). (C) 2012 Acoustical Society of America