Abstract：Objective To discuss the history and research progress of MR diffusion tensor imaging(DTI) in the diagnosis of spinal diseases. Methods To analyze and summarize the related literatures about the history and research progress of MR-DTI in the diagnosis of spinal diseases in the database of PubMed, Springer Link and CNKI with the key words of DTI, spinal, spine, etc. Results MR-DTI can reflect not only the early changes of local biological environment, but also the function of water exchange between the tissue components in early spinal cord lesions, it can also track nerve fibers and reflect the integrity of spinal cord. DTI has been gradually applied in the early diagnosis of cervical spondylotic myelopathy, the spinal cord injury period evaluation, the diagnosis of lumber and sacral nerve roots diseases, degeneration of lumber discs, etc. There is a gap between DTI technique and its clinical application in spinal cord lesions due to small volume of spinal cord, long scan time, motion artifacts, etc. With the development of medical imaging technologies, such as parallel imaging and single shot fast spin echo, these problems are being gradually solved. Conclusions DTI has played a significant role in the field of spinal diseases. With the application of more advanced techniques, we can work out solutions for the challenges and problems. DTI will become an unparalleled method in the early diagnosis of spinal diseases.
刘超,晏铮剑,邓忠良. MR弥散张量成像在脊柱脊髓疾病诊断中应用的研究进展[J]. 中华解剖与临床杂志, 2016, 21(3): 273-276.
Liu Chao, Yan Zhengjian, Deng Zhongliang. Application progress of MR diffusion tensor imaging in the diagnosis of spine and spinal cord diseases. Chinese Journal of Anatomy and Clinics, 2016, 21(3): 273-276.
Schwartz ED, Hackney DB. Diffusion-weighted MRI and the evaluation of spinal cord axonal integrity following injury and treatment[J]. Exp Neurol, 2003, 184(2): 570-589. DOI:10.1016/S0014-4886(03)00295-4
[2]
Boldin C, Raith J, Fankhauser F, et al. Predicting neurologic recovery in cervical spinal cord injury with postoperative MR imaging[J]. Spine, 2006, 31(5): 554-559. DOI:10.1097/01.brs.0000201274.59427.a4
[3]
Eguchi Y, Ohtori S, Orita S, et al. Quantitative evaluation and visualization of lumbar foraminal nerve root entrap-ment by using diffusion tensor imaging: preliminary results[J]. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol, 2011, 32(10): 1824-1829. DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.A2681
[4]
Yukawa Y, Kato F, Yoshihara H, et al. MR T2 image classification in cervical compression myelopathy: predictor of surgical outcomes[J]. Spine, 2007, 32(15): 1675-1678. DOI:10.1097/BRS.0b013e318074d62e
[5]
Clark CA, Barker GJ, Tofts PS. Magnetic resonance diffusion imaging of the human cervical spinal cord in vivo[J]. Magn Reson Med, 1999, 41(6):1269-1273
[6]
Shanmuganathan K, Gullapalli RP, Zhuo J, et al. Diffusion tensor MR imaging in cervical spine trauma[J]. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol, 2008, 29(4): 655-659. DOI:10.3174/ajnr.A0916
[7]
Summers P, Staempfli P, Jaermann T, et al. A preliminary study of the effects of trigger timing on diffusion tensor imaging of the human spinal cord[J]. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol, 2006, 27(9): 1952-1961
[8]
Wheeler-Kingshott CA, Hickman SJ, Parker GJ, et al. Investigating cervical spinal cord structure using axial diffusion tensor imaging[J]. Neuroimage, 2002, 16(1): 93-102. DOI:10.1006/nimg.2001.1022
[9]
Facon D, Ozanne A, Fillard P, et al. MR diffusion tensor imaging and fiber tracking in spinal cord compression[J]. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol, 2005, 26(6): 1587-1594
Eguchi Y, Ohtori S, Yamashita M, et al. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of symptomatic nerve root of patients with lumbar disk herniation[J]. Neuroradiology, 2011, 53(9): 633-641. DOI:10.1007/s00234-010-0801-7
[13]
Ciccarelli O, Wheeler-Kingshott CA, McLean MA, et al. Spinal cord spectroscopy and diffusion-based tractography to assess acute disability in multiple sclerosis[J]. Brain, 2007, 130(Pt 8): 2220-2231. DOI:10.1093/brain/awm152
van der Jagt PK, Dik P, Froeling M, et al. Architectural configuration and microstructural properties of the sacral plexus: a diffusion tensor MRI and fiber tractography study[J]. Neuroimage, 2012, 62(3): 1792-1799. DOI:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.06.001
Zhang Z, Chan Q, Anthony MP, et al. Age-related diffusion patterns in human lumbar intervertebral discs: a pilot study in asymptomatic subjects[J]. Magn Reson Imaging, 2012, 30(2):181-188. DOI:10.1016/j.mri.2011.09.021
[19]
Vargas MI, Viallon M, Nguyen D, et al. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tractography of the brachial plexus: feasibility and initial experience in neoplastic conditions[J]. Neuroradiology, 2010, 52(3): 237-245. DOI:10.1007/s00234-009-0643-3
[20]
Budzik JF, Verclytte S, Lefebvre G, et al. Assessment of reduced field of view in diffusion tensor imaging of the lumbar nerve roots at 3 T[J]. Eur Radiol, 2013, 23(5): 1361-1366. DOI:10.1007/s00330-012-2710-0
[21]
Niu G, Yang J, Wang R, et al. MR imaging assessment of lumbar intervertebral disk degeneration and age-related changes: apparent diffusion coefficient versus T2 quantitation[J]. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol, 2011, 32(9):1617-1623. DOI:10.3174/ajnr.A2556
[22]
Kealey SM, Aho T, Delong D, et al. Assessment of apparent diffusion coefficient in normal and degenerated intervertebral lumbar disks: initial experience[J]. Radiology, 2005, 235(2): 569-574. DOI:10.1148/radiol.2352040437
[23]
Chhabra A, Andreisek G, Soldatos T, et al. MR neurography: past, present, and future[J]. AJR Am J Roentgenol, 2011, 197(3): 583-591. DOI:10.2214/AJR.10.6012
[24]
Mulcahey MJ, Samdani A, Gaughan J, et al. Diffusion tensor imaging in pediatric spinal cord injury: preliminary examination of reliability and clinical correlation[J]. Spine, 2012, 37(13): E797-E803. DOI:10.1097/BRS.0b013e3182470a08
Takashima H, Takebayashi T, Yoshimoto M, et al. Efficacy of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosing spinal root disorders in lumbar disc herniation[J]. Spine, 2013, 38(16): E998-1002. DOI:10.1097/BRS.0b013e31829862d3
[29]
Karampinos DC, Melkus G, Shepherd TM, et al. Diffusion tensor imaging and T2 relaxometry of bilateral lumbar nerve roots: feasibility of in-plane imaging[J]. NMR Biomed, 2013, 26(6):630-637. DOI:10.1002/nbm.2902
[30]
Filippi CG, Andrews T, Gonyea JV, et al. Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging and tractography of the lower spinal cord: application to diastematomyelia and tethered cord[J]. Eur Radiol, 2010, 20(9): 2194-2199. DOI:10.1007/s00330-010-1797-4
[31]
Balbi V, Budzik JF, Duhamel A, et al. Tractography of lumbar nerve roots: initial results[J]. Eur Radiol, 2011, 21(6): 1153-1159. DOI:10.1007/s00330-010-2049-3
[32]
Carballido-Gamio J, Xu D, Newitt D, et al. Single-shot fast spin-echo diffusion tensor imaging of the lumbar spine at 1.5 and 3 T[J]. Magn Reson Imaging, 2007, 25(5): 665-670. DOI:10.1016/j.mri.2006.10.005
[33]
Hori M, Okubo T, Aoki S, et al. Line scan diffusion tensor MRI at low magnetic field strength: feasibility study of cervical spondylotic myelopathy in an early clinical stage[J]. J Magn Reson Imaging, 2006, 23(2): 183-188. DOI:10.1002/jmri.20488
2016, Vol. 21 
