Diffusion tensor imaging of fetal spinal cord: feasibility and gestational age-related changes.

This study shows that DTI of the fetal spinal cord is feasible in normal fetuses under typical clinical practice conditions and allows us to extract DTI parameters of the spinal cord. There is a significant GA-related change of the FA in the spinal cord during pregnancy which may result from decreasing water content as observed during myelination of fiber tracts occurring in utero. This study could serve as a basis for further study of this technique in the fetus, including potential for its use in pathological conditions that impact spinal cord development. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.