Abstract #0636

In Vivo Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Rat Model of Chronic Spinal Cord Compression

Matthew Man Hin Cheung^1,2, Darrell T.H. Li³, Edward S. Hui^1,2, Abby Y. Ding^1,2, Yong Hu³, Ed X. Wu^1,2

¹Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; ²Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging and Signal Processing , The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; ³Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China

We have employed DTI to investigate the pathophysiology of chronic spinal cord compression in this study. Average diffusion characteristic curves and fiber tracking have been done to evaluate the lesion and intact regions. DTI is sensitive to the damage and it is potential to monitor the progressive structural and functional changes in such chronic spinal cord diseases.