Cervical Spine Orthopedics II Practice Exam 2026 - Free Orthopedics Exam Practice Questions and Study Guide

Diffusion tensor imaging adds a different kind of information by measuring how water diffuses along spinal cord fibers, which reflects microstructural integrity not visible on standard MRI. In cervical myelopathy, this data helps quantify the extent of tract injury and can correlate with how severely a patient is affected and how they might recover after decompression. Because these microstructural measurements are still variable across scanners and centers, and because there isn’t a universal protocol or threshold for routine decision-making, DTI is used mainly as a research tool and for prognostic insight rather than a standard diagnostic test. It complements conventional MRI—which shows anatomy, compression, and gross signal changes—rather than replacing it, and it is not used to detect infection.