title: Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging of the peripheral nerves: current techniques, promising directions, and open issues.
abstract: High-resolution ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging are the two imaging methods of choice for the study of peripheral nerves. The many advances that have been made in recent years, either by US or MR imaging, including diffusion tensor imaging and tractography, offer new perspectives for the assessment of many pathological processes affecting peripheral nerves such as entrapment syndromes, tumors and tumor-like lesions, and traumatic disorders. Most of these improvements have especially increased the spatial resolution of nerve imaging. US and MR imaging are complementary, each having advantages and disadvantages. Tractography is still emerging in the musculoskeletal field, particularly for the analysis of peripheral nerves, but this technique seems promising.
authors.affiliation: Service de Radiologie et Imagerie Musculosquelettique, Centre de Consultation et d'Imagerie de l'Appareil Locomoteur, CHRU de Lille, France. erwankermarrec@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Erwan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kermarrec
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Demondion
authors.forename: Chadi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.forename: Vianney
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Le Thuc
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boutry
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cotten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D011817:Rabbits; D014463:Ultrasonography