{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,11]],"date-time":"2026-04-11T09:07:51Z","timestamp":1775898471821,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":70,"publisher":"Journal of Neurosurgery Publishing Group (JNSPG)","issue":"3","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["FOC"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2015,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Diagnosis and management of peripheral nerve injury is complicated by the inability to assess microstructural features of injured nerve fibers via clinical examination and electrophysiology. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has been shown to accurately detect nerve injury and regeneration in crush models of peripheral nerve injury, but no prior studies have been conducted on nerve transection, a surgical emergency that can lead to permanent weakness or paralysis. Acute sciatic nerve injuries were performed microsurgically to produce multiple grades of nerve transection in rats that were harvested 1 hour after surgery. High-resolution diffusion tensor images from ex vivo sciatic nerves were obtained using diffusion-weighted spin-echo acquisitions at 4.7 T. Fractional anisotropy was significantly reduced at the injury sites of transected rats compared with sham rats. Additionally, minor eigenvalues and radial diffusivity were profoundly elevated at all injury sites and were negatively correlated to the degree of injury. Diffusion tensor tractography showed discontinuities at all injury sites and significantly reduced continuous tract counts. These findings demonstrate that high-resolution DTI is a promising tool for acute diagnosis and grading of traumatic peripheral nerve injuries.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3171\/2015.6.focus1590","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2015,9,1]],"date-time":"2015-09-01T03:41:33Z","timestamp":1441078893000},"page":"E9","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":48,"title":["4.7-T diffusion tensor imaging of acute traumatic peripheral nerve injury"],"prefix":"10.3171","volume":"39","author":[{"given":"Richard B.","family":"Boyer","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Biomedical Engineering and"},{"name":"Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nathaniel D.","family":"Kelm","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Biomedical Engineering and"},{"name":"Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, Tennessee; and"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"D. Colton","family":"Riley","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kevin W.","family":"Sexton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center;"},{"name":"Department of Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alonda C.","family":"Pollins","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"R. Bruce","family":"Shack","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Richard D.","family":"Dortch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Biomedical Engineering and"},{"name":"Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, Tennessee; and"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lillian B.","family":"Nanney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mark D.","family":"Does","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Biomedical Engineering and"},{"name":"Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, Tennessee; and"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wesley P.","family":"Thayer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departments of Biomedical Engineering and"},{"name":"Plastic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center;"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1754","reference":[{"key":"b1-focus1590","series-title":"Neurosurgery","first-page":"199","article-title":"High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging is a noninvasive method of observing injury and recovery in the peripheral nervous system","volume":"53","author":"Aagaard","year":"2003"},{"key":"b2-focus1590","series-title":"Brain","first-page":"2211","article-title":"In vivo assessment of cervical cord damage in MS patients: a longitudinal diffusion tensor MRI study","volume":"130","author":"Agosta","year":"2007"},{"key":"b3-focus1590","series-title":"Plast Reconstr Surg","first-page":"129","article-title":"Functional evaluation of complete sciatic, peroneal, and posterior tibial nerve lesions in the rat","volume":"83","author":"Bain","year":"1989"},{"key":"b4-focus1590","series-title":"Magn Reson Med","first-page":"627","article-title":"Changes in water diffusion due to Wallerian degeneration in peripheral nerve","volume":"36","author":"Beaulieu","year":"1996"},{"key":"b5-focus1590","series-title":"Plast Reconstr Surg","first-page":"1778","article-title":"Magnetic resonance imaging monitoring of peripheral nerve regeneration following neurotmesis at 4.7 Tesla","volume":"123","author":"Behr","year":"2009"},{"key":"b6-focus1590","series-title":"Nat Clin Pract Neurol","first-page":"45","article-title":"Technology insight: visualizing peripheral nerve injury using MRI","volume":"1","author":"Bendszus","year":"2005"},{"key":"b7-focus1590","series-title":"Exp Neurol","first-page":"171","article-title":"MRI of peripheral nerve degeneration and regeneration: correlation with electrophysiology and histology","volume":"188","author":"Bendszus","year":"2004"},{"key":"b8-focus1590","series-title":"Neurosci Lett","first-page":"160","article-title":"Diffusion tensor imaging detects axonal injury in a mouse model of repetitive closed-skull traumatic brain injury","volume":"513","author":"Bennett","year":"2012"},{"key":"b9-focus1590","series-title":"Clin Neurophysiol","first-page":"1951","article-title":"Evaluation and management of peripheral nerve injury","volume":"119","author":"Campbell","year":"2008"},{"key":"b10-focus1590","series-title":"Muscle Nerve","first-page":"796","article-title":"Diagnostic ultrasound for nerve transection","volume":"35","author":"Cartwright","year":"2007"},{"key":"b11-focus1590","series-title":"AJR Am J Roentgenol","first-page":"583","article-title":"MR neurography: past, present, and future","volume":"197","author":"Chhabra","year":"2011"},{"key":"b12-focus1590","series-title":"Lancet","first-page":"659","article-title":"Magnetic resonance neurography","volume":"341","author":"Filler","year":"1993"},{"key":"b13-focus1590","series-title":"Magn Reson Med","first-page":"1668","article-title":"High-resolution reduced field of view diffusion tensor imaging using spatially selective RF pulses","volume":"72","author":"Gaggl","year":"2014"},{"key":"b14-focus1590","series-title":"J Neuroinflammation","first-page":"110","article-title":"Wallerian degeneration: gaining perspective on inflammatory events after peripheral nerve injury","volume":"8","author":"Gaudet","year":"2011"},{"key":"b15-focus1590","series-title":"Muscle Nerve","first-page":"314","article-title":"The utility of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating peripheral nerve disorders","volume":"25","author":"Grant","year":"2002"},{"key":"b16-focus1590","series-title":"Neurosurgery","first-page":"825","article-title":"Evaluation and surgical management of peripheral nerve problems","volume":"44","author":"Grant","year":"1999"},{"key":"b17-focus1590","series-title":"Magn Reson Med","first-page":"328","article-title":"Magnetic resonance neurography","volume":"28","author":"Howe","year":"1992"},{"key":"b18-focus1590","series-title":"Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A","first-page":"1471","article-title":"Rapid morphological fusion of severed myelinated axons by polyethylene glycol","volume":"87","author":"Krause","year":"1990"},{"key":"b19-focus1590","series-title":"Neurosurg Clin N Am","first-page":"73","article-title":"Iatrogenic nerve injuries","volume":"20","author":"Kretschmer","year":"2009"},{"key":"b20-focus1590","series-title":"Plast Reconstr Surg","first-page":"1173","article-title":"Functional evaluation in the rat sciatic nerve defect model: a comparison of the sciatic functional index, ankle angles, and isometric tetanic force","volume":"132","author":"Lee","year":"2013"},{"key":"b21-focus1590","series-title":"Proc Intl Soc Mag Reson Med","first-page":"3537","article-title":"ExploreDTI: a graphical toolbox for processing, analyzing, and visualizing diffusion MR data","volume":"17","author":"Leemans","year":"2009"},{"key":"b22-focus1590","series-title":"Exp Neurol","first-page":"238","article-title":"Diffusion tensor imaging to assess axonal regeneration in peripheral nerves","volume":"223","author":"Lehmann","year":"2010"},{"key":"b23-focus1590","series-title":"Eur J Radiol","first-page":"e707","article-title":"In vivo DTI longitudinal measurements of acute sciatic nerve traction injury and the association with pathological and functional changes","volume":"82","author":"Li","year":"2013"},{"issue":"5","key":"b24-focus1590","series-title":"Neurosurg Focus","first-page":"E2","article-title":"Cytotoxic edema: mechanisms of pathological cell swelling","volume":"22","author":"Liang","year":"2007"},{"key":"b25-focus1590","series-title":"J Magn Reson Imaging","first-page":"535","article-title":"In vivo assessment of peripheral nerve regeneration by diffusion tensor imaging","volume":"33","author":"Morisaki","year":"2011"},{"key":"b26-focus1590","series-title":"J Neurol","first-page":"1120","article-title":"MR neurography of sciatic nerve injection injury","volume":"258","author":"Pham","year":"2011"},{"key":"b27-focus1590","series-title":"J Neurosci Res","first-page":"572","article-title":"Polyethylene glycol-fused allografts produce rapid behavioral recovery after ablation of sciatic nerve segments","volume":"93","author":"Riley","year":"2015"},{"key":"b28-focus1590","series-title":"Neural Regen Res","first-page":"2122","article-title":"Diffusion weighted MRI and tractography for evaluating peripheral nerve degeneration and regeneration","volume":"9","author":"Simon","year":"2014"},{"key":"b29-focus1590","series-title":"Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep","first-page":"328","article-title":"Ultrasonography of peripheral nerves","volume":"13","author":"Suk","year":"2013"},{"key":"b30-focus1590","series-title":"Magn Reson Med","first-page":"1447","article-title":"Formalin fixation alters water diffusion coefficient magnitude but not anisotropy in infarcted brain","volume":"53","author":"Sun","year":"2005"},{"key":"b31-focus1590","series-title":"Neuroimage","first-page":"884","article-title":"Visualization of peripheral nerve degeneration and regeneration: monitoring with diffusion tensor tractography","volume":"44","author":"Takagi","year":"2009"},{"key":"b32-focus1590","series-title":"NMR Biomed","first-page":"843","article-title":"Diffusion basis spectrum imaging detects and distinguishes coexisting subclinical inflammation, demyelination and axonal injury in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice","volume":"27","author":"Wang","year":"2014"},{"key":"b33-focus1590","series-title":"Brain","first-page":"3590","article-title":"Quantification of increased cellularity during inflammatory demyelination","volume":"134","author":"Wang","year":"2011"},{"key":"b34-focus1590","series-title":"Magn Reson Imaging","first-page":"810","article-title":"Localized high-resolution DTI of the human midbrain using single-shot EPI, parallel imaging, and outer-volume suppression at 7T","volume":"31","author":"Wargo","year":"2013"},{"key":"b35-focus1590","series-title":"J Magn Reson Imaging","first-page":"920","article-title":"Diffusion tensor imaging of forearm nerves in humans","volume":"36","author":"Zhou","year":"2012"},{"key":"b1-focus1590","series-title":"Neurosurgery","first-page":"199","article-title":"High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging is a noninvasive method of observing injury and recovery in the peripheral nervous system","volume":"53","author":"Aagaard","year":"2003"},{"key":"b2-focus1590","series-title":"Brain","first-page":"2211","article-title":"In vivo assessment of cervical cord damage in MS patients: a longitudinal diffusion tensor MRI study","volume":"130","author":"Agosta","year":"2007"},{"key":"b3-focus1590","series-title":"Plast Reconstr Surg","first-page":"129","article-title":"Functional evaluation of complete sciatic, peroneal, and posterior tibial nerve lesions in the rat","volume":"83","author":"Bain","year":"1989"},{"key":"b4-focus1590","series-title":"Magn Reson Med","first-page":"627","article-title":"Changes in water diffusion due to Wallerian degeneration in peripheral nerve","volume":"36","author":"Beaulieu","year":"1996"},{"key":"b5-focus1590","series-title":"Plast Reconstr Surg","first-page":"1778","article-title":"Magnetic resonance imaging monitoring of peripheral nerve regeneration following neurotmesis at 4.7 Tesla","volume":"123","author":"Behr","year":"2009"},{"key":"b6-focus1590","series-title":"Nat Clin Pract Neurol","first-page":"45","article-title":"Technology insight: visualizing peripheral nerve injury using MRI","volume":"1","author":"Bendszus","year":"2005"},{"key":"b7-focus1590","series-title":"Exp Neurol","first-page":"171","article-title":"MRI of peripheral nerve degeneration and regeneration: correlation with electrophysiology and histology","volume":"188","author":"Bendszus","year":"2004"},{"key":"b8-focus1590","series-title":"Neurosci Lett","first-page":"160","article-title":"Diffusion tensor imaging detects axonal injury in a mouse model of repetitive closed-skull traumatic brain injury","volume":"513","author":"Bennett","year":"2012"},{"key":"b9-focus1590","series-title":"Clin Neurophysiol","first-page":"1951","article-title":"Evaluation and management of peripheral nerve injury","volume":"119","author":"Campbell","year":"2008"},{"key":"b10-focus1590","series-title":"Muscle Nerve","first-page":"796","article-title":"Diagnostic ultrasound for nerve transection","volume":"35","author":"Cartwright","year":"2007"},{"key":"b11-focus1590","series-title":"AJR Am J Roentgenol","first-page":"583","article-title":"MR neurography: past, present, and future","volume":"197","author":"Chhabra","year":"2011"},{"key":"b12-focus1590","series-title":"Lancet","first-page":"659","article-title":"Magnetic resonance neurography","volume":"341","author":"Filler","year":"1993"},{"key":"b13-focus1590","series-title":"Magn Reson Med","first-page":"1668","article-title":"High-resolution reduced field of view diffusion tensor imaging using spatially selective RF pulses","volume":"72","author":"Gaggl","year":"2014"},{"key":"b14-focus1590","series-title":"J Neuroinflammation","first-page":"110","article-title":"Wallerian degeneration: gaining perspective on inflammatory events after peripheral nerve injury","volume":"8","author":"Gaudet","year":"2011"},{"key":"b15-focus1590","series-title":"Muscle Nerve","first-page":"314","article-title":"The utility of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating peripheral nerve disorders","volume":"25","author":"Grant","year":"2002"},{"key":"b16-focus1590","series-title":"Neurosurgery","first-page":"825","article-title":"Evaluation and surgical management of peripheral nerve problems","volume":"44","author":"Grant","year":"1999"},{"key":"b17-focus1590","series-title":"Magn Reson Med","first-page":"328","article-title":"Magnetic resonance neurography","volume":"28","author":"Howe","year":"1992"},{"key":"b18-focus1590","series-title":"Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A","first-page":"1471","article-title":"Rapid morphological fusion of severed myelinated axons by polyethylene glycol","volume":"87","author":"Krause","year":"1990"},{"key":"b19-focus1590","series-title":"Neurosurg Clin N Am","first-page":"73","article-title":"Iatrogenic nerve injuries","volume":"20","author":"Kretschmer","year":"2009"},{"key":"b20-focus1590","series-title":"Plast Reconstr Surg","first-page":"1173","article-title":"Functional evaluation in the rat sciatic nerve defect model: a comparison of the sciatic functional index, ankle angles, and isometric tetanic force","volume":"132","author":"Lee","year":"2013"},{"key":"b21-focus1590","series-title":"Proc Intl Soc Mag Reson Med","first-page":"3537","article-title":"ExploreDTI: a graphical toolbox for processing, analyzing, and visualizing diffusion MR data","volume":"17","author":"Leemans","year":"2009"},{"key":"b22-focus1590","series-title":"Exp Neurol","first-page":"238","article-title":"Diffusion tensor imaging to assess axonal regeneration in peripheral nerves","volume":"223","author":"Lehmann","year":"2010"},{"key":"b23-focus1590","series-title":"Eur J Radiol","first-page":"e707","article-title":"In vivo DTI longitudinal measurements of acute sciatic nerve traction injury and the association with pathological and functional changes","volume":"82","author":"Li","year":"2013"},{"issue":"5","key":"b24-focus1590","series-title":"Neurosurg Focus","first-page":"E2","article-title":"Cytotoxic edema: mechanisms of pathological cell swelling","volume":"22","author":"Liang","year":"2007"},{"key":"b25-focus1590","series-title":"J Magn Reson Imaging","first-page":"535","article-title":"In vivo assessment of peripheral nerve regeneration by diffusion tensor imaging","volume":"33","author":"Morisaki","year":"2011"},{"key":"b26-focus1590","series-title":"J Neurol","first-page":"1120","article-title":"MR neurography of sciatic nerve injection injury","volume":"258","author":"Pham","year":"2011"},{"key":"b27-focus1590","series-title":"J Neurosci Res","first-page":"572","article-title":"Polyethylene glycol-fused allografts produce rapid behavioral recovery after ablation of sciatic nerve segments","volume":"93","author":"Riley","year":"2015"},{"key":"b28-focus1590","series-title":"Neural Regen Res","first-page":"2122","article-title":"Diffusion weighted MRI and tractography for evaluating peripheral nerve degeneration and regeneration","volume":"9","author":"Simon","year":"2014"},{"key":"b29-focus1590","series-title":"Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep","first-page":"328","article-title":"Ultrasonography of peripheral nerves","volume":"13","author":"Suk","year":"2013"},{"key":"b30-focus1590","series-title":"Magn Reson Med","first-page":"1447","article-title":"Formalin fixation alters water diffusion coefficient magnitude but not anisotropy in infarcted brain","volume":"53","author":"Sun","year":"2005"},{"key":"b31-focus1590","series-title":"Neuroimage","first-page":"884","article-title":"Visualization of peripheral nerve degeneration and regeneration: monitoring with diffusion tensor tractography","volume":"44","author":"Takagi","year":"2009"},{"key":"b32-focus1590","series-title":"NMR Biomed","first-page":"843","article-title":"Diffusion basis spectrum imaging detects and distinguishes coexisting subclinical inflammation, demyelination and axonal injury in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice","volume":"27","author":"Wang","year":"2014"},{"key":"b33-focus1590","series-title":"Brain","first-page":"3590","article-title":"Quantification of increased cellularity during inflammatory demyelination","volume":"134","author":"Wang","year":"2011"},{"key":"b34-focus1590","series-title":"Magn Reson Imaging","first-page":"810","article-title":"Localized high-resolution DTI of the human midbrain using single-shot EPI, parallel imaging, and outer-volume suppression at 7T","volume":"31","author":"Wargo","year":"2013"},{"key":"b35-focus1590","series-title":"J Magn Reson Imaging","first-page":"920","article-title":"Diffusion tensor imaging of forearm nerves in humans","volume":"36","author":"Zhou","year":"2012"}],"container-title":["Neurosurgical Focus"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/thejns.org\/view\/journals\/neurosurg-focus\/39\/3\/article-pE9.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/thejns.org\/downloadpdf\/journals\/neurosurg-focus\/39\/3\/article-pE9.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/thejns.org\/downloadpdf\/journals\/neurosurg-focus\/39\/3\/article-pE9.xml","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,11]],"date-time":"2026-04-11T08:23:28Z","timestamp":1775895808000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/thejns.org\/view\/journals\/neurosurg-focus\/39\/3\/article-pE9.xml"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2015,9]]},"references-count":70,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3"},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3171\/2015.6.focus1590","relation":{},"ISSN":["1092-0684"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1092-0684","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2015,9]]}}}