Abstract: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which responds with the diffusion of water molecules in spinal cord white matter, may be used to detect the integrity of the spinal cord fiber bundles and the pathological changes after injury. It is sensitive in acute and chronic spinal cord injury, such as cervical spondylotic myelopathy, multiple sclerosis, brain damage secondary spinal cord injury, spinal nerve root damage, and so on. In basic studies, DTI can reveal the microstructure and pathological changes of the injured spinal, and be correlated with behavioral assessment, which involved mice, monkeys, calves, cats, swines, dogs, and so on.

Key words: spinal cord injury, diffusion tensor imaging, clinic, animals model, review