An article, recently published on “Scientific Reports”, coordinated by Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna explored novel diagnosis methods based on quantitative ultrasound analysis. Quantitative ultrasound techniques can provide specific objective metrics related to tissue microstructure, enabling quantitative, safe and low-cost tissue diagnosis.

A novel and reference-free quantitative parameter, based on amplitude and phase information from the ultrasound backscattered signals, was proposed to discriminate different concentration of bone mineral content.

The study provides us with an objective and quantitative ultrasound parameter, derived from a specific quantitative ultrasound analysis, able to evaluate the bone mineral content during the healing process.

The proposed parameter was effective in discriminating different hydroxyapatite (from 10 to 50% w/v) and calcium carbonate (from 2 to 6% w/v) concentrations in bone-mimicking phantoms without the need for reference measurements, paving the way to its translational use for the diagnosis of tissue healing. Indeed, our method could also be applied in the future for the quantitative assessment of other degenerated tissues (such as the cartilage during the osteoarthritis process).

“Such method paves the way to a potential translational use for the quantitative diagnosis of others degenerated tissues, such as the cartilage during the osteoarthritis” explains Angela Sorriento, PhD student at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna.

Read the study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-79365-0