Abstract
Peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) continue to present both diagnostic and treatment
challenges. While nerve transections are typically a straightforward diagnosis, other
types of PNIs, such as chronic or traumatic nerve compression, may be more difficult
to evaluate due to their varied presentation and limitations of current diagnostic
tools. As a result, diagnosis may be delayed, and these patients may go on to develop
progressive symptoms, impeding normal activity. In the past, PNIs were diagnosed by
history and clinical examination alone or techniques that raised concerns regarding
accuracy, invasiveness, or operator dependency. Magnetic resonance neurography (MRN)
has been increasingly utilized in clinical settings due to its ability to visualize
complex nerve structures along their entire pathway and distinguish nerves from surrounding
vasculature and tissue in a noninvasive manner. In this review, we discuss the clinical
applications of MRN in the diagnosis, as well as pre- and postsurgical assessments
of patients with peripheral neuropathies.
Keywords
magnetic resonance neurography - MRN - MRI - peripheral nerve imaging - nerve evaluation
- peripheral nerve injury
