Assessment of spinal cord injury using ultrasound elastography in a rabbit model in vivo
Abstract The effect of the mechanical micro-environment on spinal cord injury (SCI) and treatment effectiveness remains unclear. Currently, there are limited imaging methods that can directly assess the localized mechanical behavior of spinal cords in vivo. In this study, we apply new ultrasound ela...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41172-8 |
| _version_ | 1797576882774867968 |
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| author | Songyuan Tang Bradley Weiner Francesca Taraballi Candice Haase Eliana Stetco Shail Maharshi Mehta Peer Shajudeen Matthew Hogan Enrica De Rosa Philip J. Horner K. Jane Grande-Allen Zhaoyue Shi Christof Karmonik Ennio Tasciotti Raffaella Righetti |
| author_facet | Songyuan Tang Bradley Weiner Francesca Taraballi Candice Haase Eliana Stetco Shail Maharshi Mehta Peer Shajudeen Matthew Hogan Enrica De Rosa Philip J. Horner K. Jane Grande-Allen Zhaoyue Shi Christof Karmonik Ennio Tasciotti Raffaella Righetti |
| author_sort | Songyuan Tang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The effect of the mechanical micro-environment on spinal cord injury (SCI) and treatment effectiveness remains unclear. Currently, there are limited imaging methods that can directly assess the localized mechanical behavior of spinal cords in vivo. In this study, we apply new ultrasound elastography (USE) techniques to assess SCI in vivo at the site of the injury and at the time of one week post injury, in a rabbit animal model. Eleven rabbits underwent laminectomy procedures. Among them, spinal cords of five rabbits were injured during the procedure. The other six rabbits were used as control. Two neurological statuses were achieved: non-paralysis and paralysis. Ultrasound data were collected one week post-surgery and processed to compute strain ratios. Histologic analysis, mechanical testing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography and MRI diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed to validate USE results. Strain ratios computed via USE were found to be significantly different in paralyzed versus non-paralyzed rabbits. The myelomalacia histologic score and spinal cord Young’s modulus evaluated in selected animals were in good qualitative agreement with USE assessment. It is feasible to use USE to assess changes in the spinal cord of the presented animal model. In the future, with more experimental data available, USE may provide new quantitative tools for improving SCI diagnosis and prognosis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:00:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-188dc8bf978e497d941cf7274465ec8e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:00:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-188dc8bf978e497d941cf7274465ec8e2023-11-19T12:58:31ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-09-0113111110.1038/s41598-023-41172-8Assessment of spinal cord injury using ultrasound elastography in a rabbit model in vivoSongyuan Tang0Bradley Weiner1Francesca Taraballi2Candice Haase3Eliana Stetco4Shail Maharshi Mehta5Peer Shajudeen6Matthew Hogan7Enrica De Rosa8Philip J. Horner9K. Jane Grande-Allen10Zhaoyue Shi11Christof Karmonik12Ennio Tasciotti13Raffaella Righetti14Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M UniversityOrthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist HospitalOrthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist HospitalOrthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist HospitalOrthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist HospitalDepartment of Bioengineering, Rice UniversityDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M UniversityDepartment of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research InstituteOrthopedics and Sports Medicine, Houston Methodist HospitalDepartment of Neurosurgery, Center for Neuroregeneration, Houston Methodist Research InstituteDepartment of Bioengineering, Rice UniversityTranslational Imaging Center, Houston Methodist Research InstituteTranslational Imaging Center, Houston Methodist Research InstituteDepartment of Human Sciences and Promotion of Quality of Life, San Raffaele Roma Open University and IRCCS San Raffaele PisanaDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M UniversityAbstract The effect of the mechanical micro-environment on spinal cord injury (SCI) and treatment effectiveness remains unclear. Currently, there are limited imaging methods that can directly assess the localized mechanical behavior of spinal cords in vivo. In this study, we apply new ultrasound elastography (USE) techniques to assess SCI in vivo at the site of the injury and at the time of one week post injury, in a rabbit animal model. Eleven rabbits underwent laminectomy procedures. Among them, spinal cords of five rabbits were injured during the procedure. The other six rabbits were used as control. Two neurological statuses were achieved: non-paralysis and paralysis. Ultrasound data were collected one week post-surgery and processed to compute strain ratios. Histologic analysis, mechanical testing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computerized tomography and MRI diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) were performed to validate USE results. Strain ratios computed via USE were found to be significantly different in paralyzed versus non-paralyzed rabbits. The myelomalacia histologic score and spinal cord Young’s modulus evaluated in selected animals were in good qualitative agreement with USE assessment. It is feasible to use USE to assess changes in the spinal cord of the presented animal model. In the future, with more experimental data available, USE may provide new quantitative tools for improving SCI diagnosis and prognosis.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41172-8 |
| spellingShingle | Songyuan Tang Bradley Weiner Francesca Taraballi Candice Haase Eliana Stetco Shail Maharshi Mehta Peer Shajudeen Matthew Hogan Enrica De Rosa Philip J. Horner K. Jane Grande-Allen Zhaoyue Shi Christof Karmonik Ennio Tasciotti Raffaella Righetti Assessment of spinal cord injury using ultrasound elastography in a rabbit model in vivo Scientific Reports |
| title | Assessment of spinal cord injury using ultrasound elastography in a rabbit model in vivo |
| title_full | Assessment of spinal cord injury using ultrasound elastography in a rabbit model in vivo |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of spinal cord injury using ultrasound elastography in a rabbit model in vivo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of spinal cord injury using ultrasound elastography in a rabbit model in vivo |
| title_short | Assessment of spinal cord injury using ultrasound elastography in a rabbit model in vivo |
| title_sort | assessment of spinal cord injury using ultrasound elastography in a rabbit model in vivo |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41172-8 |
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