Why can bone be damaged by ultrasound?

Why can bone be damaged by ultrasound?

• A. The beam is so dense
• B. Bone reflects all energy
• C. Ultrasound cannot penetrate bone
• D. Bone absorbs energy only slowly

Answer: (A)

The main idea is that energy deposition from the ultrasound beam into tissue can cause damage, and bone is especially susceptible because it absorbs ultrasound energy very readily. Bone has a mineral-rich, dense structure that attenuates and absorbs sound much more than soft tissue. When the beam is highly dense in energy, a lot of ultrasound energy is deposited into a small area of bone, and that energy is converted to heat. The rapid heating can raise temperature locally enough to cause tissue injury, protein denaturation, or microdamage, and in some cases mechanical effects at interfaces can add to the risk. That’s why bone can be damaged by ultrasound: a concentrated, high-energy beam delivers more energy to bone than to surrounding tissues.

The main idea is that energy deposition from the ultrasound beam into tissue can cause damage, and bone is especially susceptible because it absorbs ultrasound energy very readily. Bone has a mineral-rich, dense structure that attenuates and absorbs sound much more than soft tissue. When the beam is highly dense in energy, a lot of ultrasound energy is deposited into a small area of bone, and that energy is converted to heat. The rapid heating can raise temperature locally enough to cause tissue injury, protein denaturation, or microdamage, and in some cases mechanical effects at interfaces can add to the risk. That’s why bone can be damaged by ultrasound: a concentrated, high-energy beam delivers more energy to bone than to surrounding tissues.