The basis of this study was to explore the potential of ultrasonic tissue characterization to accurately detect and reliably quantify the acoustic properties of lingual tissues. The purpose of the work was to establish the fundamental procedures and methodological standards for application of ultrasound characterization to study the human tongue, and to quantify, for the first time, the attenuation, velocity, and backscatter attributes of lingual tissues supported by histologic evidence. Three regions of the intrinsic musculature were sampled. Features of tissue composition, muscle fiber orientation, and macrostructural complexity were defined. The acoustic properties from these regions represented a muscular organ with ultrasonic parameters that differed from the published literature for striated musculature. Further, significant acoustic variations were noted within the intrinsic lingual musculature. / Backscatter coefficients predicted the presence of connective tissues, fat and muscle. This acoustic finding was confirmed through histologic image analysis. The concentrations of tissues varied across sample regions. Muscle fiber orientation, fat deposits, and differences in collagen and elastic fiber content supported the postulate that the size of backscatter is affected by the principal cell size and the structural organization of the tissue. The in vitro results are first steps toward a true representation of the acoustic properties of living lingual tissue. The roles of these tissues in muscle mechanics, applications to medical practice in the detection of disease states, and future areas for research are discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.35920 |
| Date | January 1999 |
| Creators | Miller, Jeri L. |
| Contributors | Watkin, Kenneth L. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (School of Communication Sciences and Disorders.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001652045, proquestno: NQ50222, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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