TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantitative STIR of muscle for monitoring nerve regeneration
AU - Viddeleer, Alain R.
AU - Sijens, Paul E.
AU - van Ooijen, Peter M. A.
AU - Kuypers, Paul D. l.
AU - Hovius, Steven E. R.
AU - De Deyn, Peter P.
AU - Oudkerk, Matthijs
N1 - © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
PY - 2016/8
Y1 - 2016/8
N2 - PurposeTo assess whether short tau inversion recovery (STIR) MRI sequences can provide a tool for monitoring peripheral nerve regeneration, by comparing signal intensity changes in reinnervated muscle over time, and to determine potential clinical time points for monitoring.Materials and MethodsFor this prospective study, 29 patients with complete traumatic transection of the ulnar or median nerves in the forearm were followed up to 45 months postsurgery. Standardized 1.5 Tesla STIR-MRI scans of hand muscles were obtained at fixed time intervals. Muscle signal intensities were measured semi-quantitatively and correlated to functional outcome.ResultsFor the patients with good function recovery, mean signal intensity ratios of 1.179 0.039, 1.304 +/- 0.180, 1.154 +/- 0.121, 1.105 +/- 0.046 and 1.038 +/- 0.047 were found at 1-, 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up, respectively. In the group with poor function recovery, ratios of 1.240 +/- 0.069, 1.374 +/- 0.144, 1.407 +/- 0.127, 1.386 +/- 0.128 and 1.316 +/- 0.116 were found. Comparing the groups showed significant differences from 6 months onward (P <0.001), with normalizing signal intensities in the group with good function recovery and sustained elevated signal intensity in the group with poor function recovery.ConclusionMRI of muscle can be used as a tool for monitoring motor nerve regeneration, by comparing STIR muscle signal intensities over time. A decrease in signal intensity ratio of 50% (as compared to the initial increase) seems to predict good function recovery. Long-term follow-up shows that STIR MRI can be used for at least 15 months after nerve transection to differentiate between denervated and (re)innervated muscles. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:401-410.
AB - PurposeTo assess whether short tau inversion recovery (STIR) MRI sequences can provide a tool for monitoring peripheral nerve regeneration, by comparing signal intensity changes in reinnervated muscle over time, and to determine potential clinical time points for monitoring.Materials and MethodsFor this prospective study, 29 patients with complete traumatic transection of the ulnar or median nerves in the forearm were followed up to 45 months postsurgery. Standardized 1.5 Tesla STIR-MRI scans of hand muscles were obtained at fixed time intervals. Muscle signal intensities were measured semi-quantitatively and correlated to functional outcome.ResultsFor the patients with good function recovery, mean signal intensity ratios of 1.179 0.039, 1.304 +/- 0.180, 1.154 +/- 0.121, 1.105 +/- 0.046 and 1.038 +/- 0.047 were found at 1-, 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up, respectively. In the group with poor function recovery, ratios of 1.240 +/- 0.069, 1.374 +/- 0.144, 1.407 +/- 0.127, 1.386 +/- 0.128 and 1.316 +/- 0.116 were found. Comparing the groups showed significant differences from 6 months onward (P <0.001), with normalizing signal intensities in the group with good function recovery and sustained elevated signal intensity in the group with poor function recovery.ConclusionMRI of muscle can be used as a tool for monitoring motor nerve regeneration, by comparing STIR muscle signal intensities over time. A decrease in signal intensity ratio of 50% (as compared to the initial increase) seems to predict good function recovery. Long-term follow-up shows that STIR MRI can be used for at least 15 months after nerve transection to differentiate between denervated and (re)innervated muscles. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2016;44:401-410.
KW - peripheral nerves
KW - denervation
KW - nerve regeneration
KW - quantitative evaluation
KW - magnetic resonance imaging
KW - muscle
KW - MAGNETIC-RESONANCE NEUROGRAPHY
KW - DENERVATED SKELETAL-MUSCLE
KW - SCHWANN-CELL DENERVATION
KW - AXONAL REGENERATION
KW - MR NEUROGRAPHY
KW - PERIPHERAL-NERVES
KW - DISTAL STUMP
KW - MEDIAN NERVE
KW - INJURY
KW - TERM
U2 - 10.1002/jmri.25181
DO - 10.1002/jmri.25181
M3 - Article
C2 - 26889629
SN - 1053-1807
VL - 44
SP - 401
EP - 410
JO - Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
JF - Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
IS - 2
ER -