Infrared thermography for detection and evaluation of bone density variations by non-stationary thermal wave imaging

Abstract

Osteoporosis has been characterized as a skeletal disorder of reduced bone strength that leads to an increased risk of fracture. As the age of the person grows, early diagnosis of the disease is necessary to maintain good bone strength and to avoid unbearable fractures. While the disease cannot be reversed, it can be effectively managed by detecting bone density variations. Recently introduced non-stationary thermal wave imaging techniques have gained wide acceptance in the thermal non-destructive testing research community due to their merits over the conventional methods. This paper attempts to test the capabilities of one of the widely used non-stationary thermal imaging techniques to characterize the severity of osteoporosis in the modeled human bone. A 3D finite element analysis has been carried out to model a multilayered bone having different density variations, with tissue, skin and muscle over layers. Obtained results from frequency domain analysis scheme has been studied in order to detect the density variations with improved test sensitivity.