Scanning pattern of diffusion tensor tractography and an analysis of the morphology and function of spinal nerve roots
Xin Tian
Huaijun Liu
Zuojun Geng
Hua Yang
Guoshi Wang
Jiping Yang
Chunxia Wang
Cuining Li
Ying Li
摘要：Radiculopathy, commonly induced by intervertebral disk bulging or protrusion, is presently diag-nosed in accordance with clinical symptoms because there is no objective quantitative diagnostic criterion. Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor tractography revealed the characterization of anisotropic diffusion and displayed the anatomic form of nerve root fibers. This study included 18 cases with intervertebral disc degeneration-induced unilateral radiculopathy. Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging was creatively used to reveal the scanning pattern of fiber tracking of the spinal nerve root. A scoring system of nerve root morphology was used to quantitatively assess nerve root morphology and functional alteration after intervertebral disc de-generation. Results showed that after fiber tracking, compared with unaffected nerve root, fiber bundles gathered together and interrupted at the affected side. No significant alteration was de-tected in the number of fiber bundles, but the cross-sectional area of nerve root fibers was reduced. These results suggest that diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging-based tractography can be used to quantitatively evaluate nerve root function according to the area and morphology of fiber bundles of nerve roots.
机标关键词：nerve rootmagnetic resonance imagingintervertebral discroot morphologydiffusion tensor imaginganisotropic diffusionintervertebral diskform of
资助基金：This study was supported by the Instruction Project of Health Department of Hebei Province of China in 2012, (No.20120072)
论文发表日期：2013-01-01
在线出版日期：2025-08-15（本平台首次上网日期，不代表文献的发表时间）
页数：8( 3159-3166 )
英文信息