AI 中文总结
研究旨在通过分析皮质骨界面超声反射，结合信号处理与波束形成技术重建镜面反射图，检测不平衡重塑。发现镜面反射与骨微观结构相关，孔隙体积分数和孔径都与镜面反射密切相关，有望成为识别皮质骨退化的敏感标志物。
AI 中文摘要
皮质骨与髓腔之间的区域（骨内膜表面）对于骨质疏松症的早期检测尤为重要。该区域通常最先出现不平衡重塑迹象（孔隙增大和表面粗糙度增加）。本研究分析骨内膜表面的超声反射，基于镜面反射引入一种新的皮质骨健康潜在生物标志物。通过结合最初用于增强软组织中镜面反射器的信号处理技术和考虑骨软组织界面折射的波束形成技术重建镜面反射图。利用数值模拟和2.5MHz相控阵的离体测量，发现镜面反射与骨微观结构密切相关。在三个供体股骨的12个感兴趣区域中，8个无大孔隙区域超过50%像素的镜面反射率高（>0.5），而4个有广泛重塑迹象的区域则相反。孔隙体积分数和孔径都与镜面反射密切相关。这些发现表明镜面反射反映骨微观结构，可能是识别骨内膜表面附近皮质骨退化 的敏感标志物。
英文摘要
The region near the interface between cortical bone and the medullary cavity (the endosteal surface) is of particular interest for the early detection of osteoporosis. This region is typically the first to exhibit signs of unbalanced remodeling (enlarged pores and increased surface roughness). In this study, we analyze ultrasound reflection at the endosteal surface to introduce a novel potential biomarker of cortical bone health based on specularity. Our hypothesis is that increased pore size and surface roughness enhance ultrasound scattering, thereby reducing specular reflection. We reconstruct maps of specularity by combining a signal processing technique initially designed to enhance specular reflectors in soft tissues with a beamforming technique that accounts for refraction at bone soft tissue interfaces. Specularity values (between 0 and 1) quantify the similarity between received signals and signals from an ideal specular reflector. Using numerical simulations and ex vivo measurements with a 2.5 MHz phased array we highlight a strong relationship between specularity and bone microstructure, as assessed by high-resolution micro-computed tomography. Among 12 regions of interest (ROI) in the femoral bone of three donors, 8 ROIs without large pores showed high specularity (>0.5) in over 50% of pixels, in contrast to 4 ROIs with signs of extensive remodeling. Both pore volume fraction and pore size were strongly associated with specularity. In simple linear regression analyses, each parameter individually explained 84% of the variability in specularity. These findings suggest that specularity reflects bone microstructure and may potentially serve as a sensitive marker for identifying cortical bone degradation near the endosteal surface.
Journal refUltrasonics, Volume 168, 2026, 108213, ISSN 0041-624X
DOI：10.1016/j.ultras.2026.108213
