title: Does diffusion tensor data reflect pathological changes in the spinal cord with chronic injury.
abstract: Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging has been shown to quantitatively measure the early pathological changes in chronic cervical spondylotic myelopathy. In this study, a novel spongy polyurethane material was implanted in the rat C3-5 epidural space to establish a rat model of chronic cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Diffusion tensor data were used to predict pathological changes. Results revealed that the fractional anisotropy value gradually decreased at 4, 24, and 72 hours and 1 week after injury in rat spinal cord, showing a time-dependent manner. Average diffusion coefficient increased at 72 hours and 1 week after implantation. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and Luxol-fast-blue staining exhibited that the number of neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord gray matter and the nerve fiber density of the white matter gradually reduced with prolonged compression time. Neuronal loss was most significant at 1 week after injury. Results verified that the fractional anisotropy value and average diffusion coefficient reflected the degree of pathological change in the site of compression in rat models at various time points after chronic spinal cord compression injury, which potentially has a reference value in the early diagnosis of chronic cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, the Eastern Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510700, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Erjian
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Spinal Surgery, Huangpu Branch, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510700, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Houqing
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical College, Zhanjiang 524001, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Guangsheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510086, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Wanlong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lei
keywords: cervical cord; cervical myelopathy; cervical spinal cord compression; diffusion tensor imaging; grants-supported paper; magnetic resonance; neural regeneration; neurofilament; neuroregeneration; pathology