Physico-Chemical Events
Sunday, October 16, 2005 3:00 PM-5:00 PM Exhibit Hall(PP009) Interface-induced dose perturbation in trabecular bone - a Monte Carlo approach.
Gersh, Jacob*,1, Dingfelder, Michael1, Toburen, Larry1, 1 Department of Physics, Greenville, NC, USA
ABSTRACT- Experimental limitations inherent in the dosimetry of complex geometries, such as trabecular bone, make necessary the use of computational methods. Trabecular bone consists of a network of interconnected strands of hard bone, or trabeculae. In the cavities formed by this matrix of bone exist bone marrow, consisting of red and white blood cells, stromal cells, and hematopoietic cells. An excess of marrow dose may result in myeloproliferative disorders such as leukemia. Also, irradiation to the thin endosteal layer covering trabeculae may result in osteogenic sarcoma, and other such bone cancers. When ionizing radiation is incident upon trabecular bone, backscattering from trabeculae into marrow present a substantial dosimetric consideration. By using PENELOPE, a general purpose Monte Carlo electron and photon transport code, dosimetric calculations can be performed with micrometer resolution. By knowing the extent of dose enhancement within the endosteum and the bone marrow, a more accurate model of trabecular bone may be created.
Key words: Monte Carlo, Microdosimetry, Trabecular Bone