title: In vivo assessment of nervous fiber distribution in the intervertebral disc.
abstract: This present study aims to assess in vivo the nervous fibers distribution in the intervertebral disc using diffusion tensor imaging technique. Five healthy subjects participated into the data acquisition. Fiber extraction and tracking algorithms were used. The number of fibers in L4/5 disc ranges from 314 to 679 and the mean fiber length L4/5 in disc ranges from 8.22 ± 2.36 mm to 11.24 ± 5.17 mm. This study showed the feasibility of using diffusion tensor imaging technique to detect and assess the nervous fibers in the intervertebral discs. This could be of great clinical interest for the study of the correlations between these useful characteristics with pain levels on the low back pain patients.
authors.forename: Tien Tuan
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Dao
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pouletaut
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Charleux
authors.forename: Marie-Christine Ho Ba
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D016880:Anisotropy; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D006801:Humans; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000294:innervation*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000294:innervation; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000502:physiology*; D011336:Probability