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Semin Musculoskelet Radiol 2023; 27(06): 641-648
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1775742
Review Article

Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Peripheral Nerves: Current Status and New Developments

Daehyun Yoon
1   Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, School of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California
,
Amelie M. Lutz
2   Department of Radiology, Kantonal Hospital Thurgau, Muensterlingen, Switzerland
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Abstract

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an emerging technique for peripheral nerve imaging that can provide information about the microstructural organization and connectivity of these nerves and complement the information gained from anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. With DTI it is possible to reconstruct nerve pathways and visualize the three-dimensional trajectory of nerve fibers, as in nerve tractography. More importantly, DTI allows for quantitative evaluation of peripheral nerves by the calculation of several important parameters that offer insight into the functional status of a nerve. Thus DTI has a high potential to add value to the work-up of peripheral nerve pathologies, although it is more technically demanding. Peripheral nerves pose specific challenges to DTI due to their small diameter and DTI's spatial resolution, contrast, location, and inherent field inhomogeneities when imaging certain anatomical locations. Numerous efforts are underway to resolve these technical challenges and thus enable wider acceptance of DTI in peripheral nerve MRI.

Keywords

diffusion tensor imaging - peripheral nerve imaging - magnetic resonance neurography


Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
07. November 2023

© 2023. Thieme. All rights reserved.

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