title: Diffusion tensor imaging of the sural nerve in normal controls.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To develop a diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) protocol for assessing the sural nerve in healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sural nerves in 25 controls were imaged using DTI at 3T with 6, 15, and 32 gradient directions. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were computed from nerve regions of interest co-registered with T2-weighted images.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coronal images with 0.5(RL)× 2.0(FH)× 0.5(AP)mm(3) resolution successfully localized the sural nerve. FA maps showed less variability with 32 directions (0.559 ± 0.071) compared to 15(0.590 ± 0.080) and 6(0.659 ± 0.109).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our DTI protocol was effective in imaging sural nerves in controls to establish normative FA/ADC, with potential to be used non-invasively in diseased nerves of patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Boklye
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Electronic address: ashoks@med.umich.edu.
authors.forename: Ashok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Srinivasan
authors.affiliation: Botsford General Hospital, 28050 Grand River Avenue, Farmington Hills, Michigan.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sabb
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Eva L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Feldman
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology and Diabetes, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
authors.forename: Rodica
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pop-Busui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
keywords: Diffusion tensor imaging; Fractional anisotropy; Image registration; Sural nerve