The role of spinal cord tractography in detecting lesions following selective bladder afferent and efferent fibers injury: A novel method for induction of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction in rabbit.

Objective: Neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction (NLUTD), a challenging disorder, is defined by lack of bladder control due to the abnormalities in neural pathways and can be classified based on the location of lesions within the nervous system, thus investigating the neural pathways can help us to know the site of the lesion and specify the class of the NLUTD. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) tractography, a noninvasive advanced imaging method, is capable of detecting central nervous system pathologies, even if routine magnetic resonance imaging shows no abnormality. Accordingly, tractography is an ideal technique to evaluate patients with NLUTD and visualize the pathology site within the spine.

Management of urinary and bowel dysfunction in rabbit model of spinal cord injury using Schwann cells and muscle progenitors: functional study and evidence for novel mechanism of action.

Purpose: We tried to investigate the role of Schwann and satellite cells in the treatment of neurogenic bladder and bowel dysfunction; following spinal cord injury in the rabbit model.

Methods: Twelve male New Zealand rabbits underwent induction of neurogenic bladder by spinal cord injury. Rabbits underwent the fiber tractography analysis to confirm the induction of spinal cord injury.