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Updated: Oct 23, 2025
Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Chronic Spinal Cord Compression
Published on: May 7, 2019
Utility of Advanced DWI in the Detection of Spinal Cord Microstructural Alterations and Assessment of Neurologic
Meng-Ze Zhang1, Han-Qiang Ou-Yang2,3,4, Jian-Fang Liu1
1Department of Radiology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China.
Background:
Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) can quantify the microstructural changes in the spinal cord. It might be a substitute for T2 increased signal intensity (ISI) for cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) evaluation and prognosis.
Purpose:
The purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between DWI metrics and neurologic function of patients with CSM.
Study Type:
Retrospective.
Population:
Forty-eight patients with CSM (18.8% females) and 36 healthy controls (HCs, 25.0% females).
Field Strength/Sequence:
3 T; spin-echo echo-planar imaging-DWI; turbo spin-echo T1/T2; multi-echo gradient echo T2*.
Assessment:
For patients, conventional MRI indicators (presence and grades of T2 ISI), DWI indicators (neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging [NODDI]-derived isotropic volume fraction [ISOVF], intracellular volume fraction, and orientation dispersion index [ODI], diffusion tensor imaging [DTI]-derived fractional anisotropy [FA] and mean diffusivity [MD], and diffusion kurtosis imaging [DKI]-derived FA, MD, and mean kurtosis), clinical conditions, and modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) were recorded before the surgery. Neurologic function improvement was measured by the 3-month follow-up recovery rate (RR). For HCs, DWI, and mJOA were measured as baseline comparison.
Statistical Tests:
Continuous (categorical) variables were compared between patients and HCs using Student's t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests (chi-square or Fisher exact tests). The relationships between DWI metrics/conventional MRI findings, and the pre-operative mJOA/RR were assessed using correlation and multivariate analysis. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results:
Among patients, grades of T2 ISI were not correlated with pre-surgical mJOA/RR (P = 0.717 and 0.175, respectively). NODDI ODI correlated with pre-operative mJOA (r = -0.31). DTI FA, DKI FA, and NODDI ISOVF were correlated with the recovery rate (r = 0.31, 0.41, and -0.34, respectively). In multivariate analysis, NODDI ODI (DTI FA, DKI FA, NODDI ISOVF) significantly contributed to the pre-operative mJOA (RR) after adjusting for age.
Data Conclusion:
DTI FA, DKI FA, and NODDI ISOVF are predictors for prognosis in patients with CSM. NODDI ODI can be used to evaluate CSM severity.
Level Of Evidence:
3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 5.
