Diagnostic value of magnetic resonance DTI imaging in the lumbar nerve compression injury

Abstract Purpose In this study, the fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were employed to quantitatively evaluate the lumbar nerve compression injury in case of disc herniation. Methods A cohort of 109 lumbar disc herniation patients (63 conservative treatment, 46 surgical treatment) and 50 healthy controls underwent conventional MRI, magnetic resonance neurography (MRN), and DTI. FA and ADC values were measured in each group before and after treatment, and clinical efficacy was evaluated. Results Pre-treatment patients exhibited significantly lower FA (0.221 ± 0.034 vs. 0.332 ± 0.051; p < 0.05) and higher ADC (1.616 ± 0.252 vs. 1.330 ± 0.123 ×10⁻³ mm²/s; p < 0.05) compared to controls. Post-treatment FA and ADC improved in both conservative (FA: 0.319 ± 0.049, ADC: 1.368 ± 0.127) and surgical groups (FA: 0.314 ± 0.041, ADC: 1.359 ± 0.119), approaching control levels (p < 0.05). The treatment failure group (n = 19) showed no significant improvement (FA: 0.227 ± 0.018, ADC: 1.583 ± 0.164; p > 0.05 vs. pre-treatment). Conclusions The FA and ADC values measured by DTI are related to the clinical manifestations of intervertebral disc herniation. FA and ADC values can be used to quantitatively assess the lumbar nerve compression injury. Clinical trial number Not applicable. This study is a retrospective study, it is not a clinical trail.