title: Diffusion-tensor MRI reveals the complex muscle architecture of the human forearm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To design a time-efficient patient-friendly clinical diffusion tensor MRI protocol and postprocessing tool to study the complex muscle architecture of the human forearm.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 15-minute examination was done using a 3 T system and consisted of: T(1) -weighted imaging, dual echo gradient echo imaging, single-shot spin-echo echo-planar imaging (EPI) diffusion tensor MRI. Postprocessing comprised of signal-to-noise improvement by a Rician noise suppression algorithm, image registration to correct for motion and eddy currents, and correction of susceptibility-induced deformations using magnetic field inhomogeneity maps. Per muscle one to five regions of interest were used for fiber tractography seeding. To validate our approach, the reconstructions of individual muscles from the in vivo scans were compared to photographs of those dissected from a human cadaver forearm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Postprocessing proved essential to allow muscle segmentation based on combined T(1) -weighted and diffusion tensor data. The protocol can be applied more generally to study human muscle architecture in other parts of the body.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proposed protocol was able to visualize the muscle architecture of the human forearm in great detail and showed excellent agreement with the dissected cadaver muscles.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical NMR, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. M.froeling@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Martijn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Froeling
authors.forename: Aart J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Nederveen
authors.forename: Dennis F R
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Heijtel
authors.forename: Arno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lataster
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bos
authors.forename: Klaas
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nicolay
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maas
authors.forename: Maarten R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Drost
authors.forename: Gustav J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Strijkers
mesh_terms: D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005542:Forearm / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D056888:Patient Positioning / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult