J Bone Joint Surg Br
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J Bone Joint Surg Br · Aug 2012
ReviewDiffusion tensor imaging of the spinal cord and its clinical applications.
The identification of the extent of neural damage in patients with acute or chronic spinal cord injury is imperative for the accurate prediction of neurological recovery. The changes in signal intensity shown on routine MRI sequences are of limited value for predicting functional outcome. ⋯ DTI imaging of the spinal cord is currently only a research tool, but preliminary studies have shown that it holds considerable promise in predicting the severity of spinal cord injury. This paper briefly reviews our current knowledge of this technique.