Small mammal MRI imaging in spinal cord injury: A novel practical technique for using a 1.5 T MRI

The field of spinal cord injury research is an active one. The pathophysiology of SCI is not yet entirely revealed. As such, animal models are required for the exploration of new therapies and treatments. We present a novel technique using available hospital MRI machines to examine SCI in a mouse SCI model. The model is a 60 kdyne direct contusion injury in a mouse thoracic spine. No new electronic equipment is required. A 1.5 T MRI machine with a human wrist coil is employed. A standard multisection 2D fast spin-echo (FSE) T2-weighted sequence is used for imaging the mouse. The contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) between the injured and normal area of the spinal cord showed a three-fold increase in the contrast between these two regions. The MRI findings could be correlated with kinematic outcome scores of ambulation, such as BBB or BMS. The ability to follow a SCI in the same animal over time should improve the quality of data while reducing the quantity of animals required in SCI research. It is the aim of the authors to share this non-invasive technique and to make it available to the scientific research community.