Peripheral nerve diffusion tensor imaging.

We examined if MR diffusion tensor imaging with fiber tracking could be performed on the sciatic nerve. In 3 healthy volunteers the proximal thigh was examined on a 1.5-Tesla MR-scanner with a 2-channel phased-array coil. Though inherently susceptible to motion, field inhomogeneities, and fast T(2)-relaxation of the diffusion imaging technique, the sciatic nerve could be detected and correlated to T(2)-weighted images in all 3 subjects. Further investigations need to be done to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and to see if smaller peripheral nerves than the sciatic nerve can be detected.