In vivo DTI longitudinal measurements of acute sciatic nerve traction injury and the association with pathological and functional changes.

Objective: To explore the feasibility of longitudinally measuring acute traction injury to the sciatic nerve using 1.5 T clinical MRI scanner of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and to analyze the associations of the measurements [regarding fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), eigenvalue (λ|| and λ⊥)] with limb function and pathology.

Materials And Methods: Acute traction injuries to the sciatic nerve were created in the right hind limbs of 32 New Zealand white rabbits, the left hind limbs were chosen as sham operation nerves.