Musculoskeletal Symptoms(MSS)often arise from prolonged maintenance of bent postures in the neck and trunk during surgical procedures.To prevent MSS,a passive exoskeleton utilizing carbon fiber beams to offer support ...Musculoskeletal Symptoms(MSS)often arise from prolonged maintenance of bent postures in the neck and trunk during surgical procedures.To prevent MSS,a passive exoskeleton utilizing carbon fiber beams to offer support to the neck and trunk was proposed.The application of support force is intended to reduce muscle forces and joint compression forces.A nonlinear mathematical model for the neck and trunk support beam is presented to estimate the support force.A validation test is subsequently conducted to assess the accuracy of the mathematical model.Finally,a preliminary functional evaluation test is performed to evaluate movement capabilities and support provided by the exoskeleton.The mathematical model demonstrates an accuracy for beam support force within a range of 0.8–1.2 N Root Mean Square Error(RMSE).The exoskeleton was shown to allow sufficient Range of Motion(ROM)for neck and trunk during open surgery training.While the exoskeleton showed potential in reducing musculoskeletal load and task difficulty during simulated surgery tasks,the observed reduction in perceived task difficulty was deemed non-significant.This prompts the recommendation for further optimization in personalized adjustments of beams to facilitate improvements in task difficulty and enhance comfort.展开更多
Background:Trunk lean angle is an underrepre sented biomechanical variable for modulating and redistributing lower extremity joint loading and potentially reducing the risk of running-related overuse injuries.The purp...Background:Trunk lean angle is an underrepre sented biomechanical variable for modulating and redistributing lower extremity joint loading and potentially reducing the risk of running-related overuse injuries.The purpose of this study was to systematically alter the trunk lean angle in distance running using an auditory real-time feedback approach and to derive dose-response relationships between sagittal plane trunk lean angle and lower extremity(cumulative)joint loading to guide overuse load management in clinical practice.Methods:Thirty recreational runners(15 males and 15 females)ran at a constant speed of 2.5 m/s at 5 systematically varied trunk lean conditions on a force-instrumented treadmill while kinematic and kinetic data were captured.Results:A change in trunk lean angle from-2°(extension)to 28°(flexion)resulted in a systematic increase in stance phase angular impulse,cumulative impulse,and peak moment at the hip joint in the sagittal and transversal plane.In contrast,a systematic decrease in these parameters at the knee j oint in the sagittal plane and the hip joint in the frontal plane was found(p<0.001).Linear fitting revealed that with every degree of anterior trunk leaning,the cumulative hip joint extension loading increases by 3.26 Nm·s/kg/1000 m,while simultaneously decreasing knee joint extension loading by 1.08 Nm·s/kg/1000 m.Conclusion:Trunk leaning can reduce knee joint loading and hip joint abduction loading,at the cost of hip joint loading in the sagittal and transversal planes during distance running.Modulating lower extremity joint loading by altering trunk lean angle is an effective strategy to redistribute joint load between/within the knee and hip joints.When implementing anterior trunk leaning in clinical practice,the increased demands on the hip musculature,dynamic stability,and the potential trade-off with running economy should be considered.展开更多
Tree trunk instance segmentation is crucial for under-canopy unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)to autonomously extract standing tree stem attributes.Using cameras as sensors makes these UAVs compact and lightweight,facili...Tree trunk instance segmentation is crucial for under-canopy unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)to autonomously extract standing tree stem attributes.Using cameras as sensors makes these UAVs compact and lightweight,facilitating safe and flexible navigation in dense forests.However,their limited onboard computational power makes real-time,image-based tree trunk segmentation challenging,emphasizing the urgent need for lightweight and efficient segmentation models.In this study,we present RT-Trunk,a model specifically designed for real-time tree trunk instance segmentation in complex forest environments.To ensure real-time performance,we selected SparseInst as the base framework.We incorporated ConvNeXt-T as the backbone to enhance feature extraction for tree trunks,thereby improving segmentation accuracy.We further integrate the lightweight convolutional block attention module(CBAM),enabling the model to focus on tree trunk features while suppressing irrelevant information,which leads to additional gains in segmentation accuracy.To enable RT-Trunk to operate effectively under diverse complex forest environments,we constructed a comprehensive dataset for training and testing by combining self-collected data with multiple public datasets covering different locations,seasons,weather conditions,tree species,and levels of forest clutter.Com-pared with the other tree trunk segmentation methods,the RT-Trunk method achieved an average precision of 91.4%and the fastest inference speed of 32.9 frames per second.Overall,the proposed RT-Trunk provides superior trunk segmentation performance that balances speed and accu-racy,making it a promising solution for supporting under-canopy UAVs in the autonomous extraction of standing tree stem attributes.The code for this work is available at https://github.com/NEFU CVRG/RT Trunk.展开更多
BACKGROUND Patients with Parkinson's disease(PD)exhibit symptoms such as antecollis(AC)and camptocormia(CC).The pathology of these two conditions is unclear.Additionally,standard treatment methods have not been es...BACKGROUND Patients with Parkinson's disease(PD)exhibit symptoms such as antecollis(AC)and camptocormia(CC).The pathology of these two conditions is unclear.Additionally,standard treatment methods have not been established.The article reports the case of a 65-year-old female patient with AC and CC who was treated with central and peripheral interventions to alleviate symptoms.CASE SUMMARY We present the case of a 65-year-old female PD patient with AC and CC.The course of the disease was 5 years.She was treated with rehabilitation strategies such as sensory tricks and trunk strength training.During the inpatient period,we compared and analyzed the patient's gait,rehabilitation assessment scale score,and angles of her abnormal trunk posture in the first week,the third week,and the fifth week.The patient's stride length increased,indicating that the patient's walking ability was improved.The Unified Parkinson's Disease Scale Part Three score and CC severity score decreased.Furthermore,the score of the other scale increased.In addition,the patient showed significant improvements in AC,upper CC,and lower CC angles.CONCLUSION This case study suggested that sensory tricks and trunk strength training are beneficial and safe for patients with AC and CC.展开更多
Despite its considerable potential,oil palm trunk(OPT)remains underutilized,largely owing to the cyclical replanting process that occurs every 25–30 years.This study aimed to address this issue by developing an ecofr...Despite its considerable potential,oil palm trunk(OPT)remains underutilized,largely owing to the cyclical replanting process that occurs every 25–30 years.This study aimed to address this issue by developing an ecofriendly oriented strand board(OSB)using vascular bundles(VBs)from oil palm,both in binderless form and with the incorporation of natural adhesives made from sucrose and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate(ADP).The VB was extracted from OPT using a pressure cooker and mixed with a sucrose-ADP solution at various ratios.The mixture was then pressed at temperatures of 180℃ and 200℃ for 10 min to form boards,which were evaluated based on the Japanese Industrial Standard(JIS)A 5908 for particleboards.Binderless OSB was also manufactured without the use of any adhesive components.Fourier-transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy was conducted to evaluate the VB and its board.The results indicated that the mechanical properties of the binderless OSB met the JIS A 5908 Type 8 requirements.Furthermore,the addition of sucrose-ADP improved the physical and mechanical properties of the board,with an optimal sucrose-to-ADP ratio of 85:15.The OSB with the best properties met the JIS A 5908 Type 13 requirements.The FTIR results indicated that carbonyl groups,furan rings,and lignin played important roles in the bonding properties of the OSB.In conclusion,this research demonstrated the potential of VBs as a raw material for producing environmentally friendly OSB,both in binderless form and with the use of sucrose-ADP.展开更多
Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), is a rare abdominal vascular compression syndrome caused by the compression of the proximal celiac trunk by the median arcuate ligament. According to many authors, a low insert...Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), is a rare abdominal vascular compression syndrome caused by the compression of the proximal celiac trunk by the median arcuate ligament. According to many authors, a low insertion of the diaphragmatic crura or an abnormally high origin of the celiac trunk from the aorta can cause compression of the celiac artery. Usually, patients with MALS are asymptomatic. Computed tomography (CT) angiography of the abdomen is the main imaging modality to confirm the diagnosis. The coexistence of celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery compression by the median arcuate ligament is rarely described in the literature. To our knowledge, until now, a simultaneous combination of three abdominal vascular compressions by the median arcuate ligament has never been described. From this case, we report a simultaneous compression of the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, and renal arteries by the median arcuate ligament.展开更多
Trunk function has been identified as an important early predictor of functional outcome after stroke and the same deteriorates on both contralateral and ipsilateral sides of the body following stroke. The primary con...Trunk function has been identified as an important early predictor of functional outcome after stroke and the same deteriorates on both contralateral and ipsilateral sides of the body following stroke. The primary contribution of the trunk muscles is to allow the body to remain upright, adjust weight shifts, and control movements against constant pull of gravity and is considered central key point of the body. Proximal stability of the trunk is a pre-requisite for distal limb mobility, balance, gait and functional activities and its positive correlation in hemiplegia has been demonstrated in a cross- sectional study. Both isokinetic and handheld dynamometer muscle strength testing demonstrated the weakness of bilateral trunk flexors, extensors and rotator muscles in both acute and chronic hemiplegic patients. This was confirmed by electromyography analysis which identified poor bilateral trunk muscles activity in patients with stroke. Trunk impairment scale is sensitive to evaluate the selective muscle control of upper and lower trunk, and it has been reported that lateral flexion of the trunk is easier than rotation of the trunk and the clinical observation concurs to the difficulty in lower trunk rotation of stroke patients. However, trunk exercises given early after stroke could produce enhanced balance performance post- stroke. This review attempts to report the evidence supporting the involvement of the trunk and its influence on balance and functional performance in post-stroke hemiplegia.展开更多
The blood supply to the most of abdominal organs is provided by the branches of CT. The SMA supply caecum, ascends colon, all of the small bowels except the upper part of duodenum. Knowledge of variable anatomy of cel...The blood supply to the most of abdominal organs is provided by the branches of CT. The SMA supply caecum, ascends colon, all of the small bowels except the upper part of duodenum. Knowledge of variable anatomy of celiac axis and SMA may be useful in planning and executing radiological interventions such as celiacography and chemoembolization of hepatic and pancreatic tumors. In this study, the uncommon or low percentage cases of CT and SMA are presented in the light of clinical and embryological information. The celiac axises of a total of 30 adult corpses were examined. Dissections of abdominal region were performed in detail according to Cunningham’s manual. Angiographic images of 100 consecutive adult patients who underwent celiac MDCT angiography were evaluated. During autopsies, an incomplete celiac trunk or bifurcation of celiac trunk associated with the hepatomesenteric and gastrosplenic trunks (0.7%) and a celiacomesenteric trunk associated with high origin superior mesenteric artery and gastrosplenic trunk were detected (0.7%). During MDCT angiography, a case of total absence of celiac trunk associated with a hepatosplenomesenteric trunk (0.7%) and also a case of total absence of celiac trunk alone were observed (0.7%). The persistence or unusual development of ventral splanchnic arteries (VSAs) or ventral longitudinal anastomosis may result in variations or the unusual trunks related to celiac axis and SMA. The anomalous trunks of the CT may be result of either the persistence of some parts of the VSAs or ventral longitudinal anastomose that normally disappear or disappearance of parts that normally persist. The prevalence of unusual trunks of celiac axis and SMA in this study is quite low in literature. These abnormal vessels pose problems for surgeons and radiologists. Such vascular anomalies may cause clinical complications following surgical and radiological procedures such as resection of tumor of the pancreatic head, lymphadenectomy, coeliacography, aortic replacement with reimplantation of the trunk and coembolization of pancreatic and liver tumors.展开更多
The corticoreticular tract （CRT） is known to be involved in walking and postural control. Using diffusion tensor tractography （DTT）, we investigated the relationship between the CRT and gait dysfunction, includ- i...The corticoreticular tract （CRT） is known to be involved in walking and postural control. Using diffusion tensor tractography （DTT）, we investigated the relationship between the CRT and gait dysfunction, includ- ing trunk instability, in pediatric patients. Thirty patients with delayed development and 15 age-matched, typically-developed （TD） children were recruited. Fifteen patients with gait dysfunction （bilateral trunk instability） were included in the group A, and the other 15 patients with gait dysfunction （unilateral trunk instability） were included in the group B. The Growth Motor Function Classification System, Functional Ambulation Category scale, and Functional Ambulation Category scale were used for measurement of functional state. Fractional anisotropy, apparent diffusion coefficient, fiber number, and tract integrity of the CRT and corticospinal tract were measured. Diffusion parameters or integrity of corticospinal tract were not significantly different in the three study groups. However, CRT results revealed that both CRTs were disrupted in the group A, whereas CRT disruption in the hemispheres contralateral to clinical mani- festations was observed in the group B. Fractional anisotropy values and fiber numbers in both CRTs were decreased in the group A than in the group TD. The extents of decreases of fractional anisotropy values and fiber numbers on the ipsilateral side relative to those on the contralateral side were greater in the group B than in the group TD. Functional evaluation data and clinical manifestations were found to show strong correlations with CRT status, rather than with corticospinal tract status. These findings suggest that CRT status appears to be clinically important for gait function and trunk stability in pediatric patients and DTT can help assess CRT status in pediatric patients with gait dysfunction.展开更多
基金funded by China Scholarship Council,Grant Number 201906840121department of rehabilitation medicine,University Medical Center Groningen,University of Groningen,grant number:O/085350.
文摘Musculoskeletal Symptoms(MSS)often arise from prolonged maintenance of bent postures in the neck and trunk during surgical procedures.To prevent MSS,a passive exoskeleton utilizing carbon fiber beams to offer support to the neck and trunk was proposed.The application of support force is intended to reduce muscle forces and joint compression forces.A nonlinear mathematical model for the neck and trunk support beam is presented to estimate the support force.A validation test is subsequently conducted to assess the accuracy of the mathematical model.Finally,a preliminary functional evaluation test is performed to evaluate movement capabilities and support provided by the exoskeleton.The mathematical model demonstrates an accuracy for beam support force within a range of 0.8–1.2 N Root Mean Square Error(RMSE).The exoskeleton was shown to allow sufficient Range of Motion(ROM)for neck and trunk during open surgery training.While the exoskeleton showed potential in reducing musculoskeletal load and task difficulty during simulated surgery tasks,the observed reduction in perceived task difficulty was deemed non-significant.This prompts the recommendation for further optimization in personalized adjustments of beams to facilitate improvements in task difficulty and enhance comfort.
文摘Background:Trunk lean angle is an underrepre sented biomechanical variable for modulating and redistributing lower extremity joint loading and potentially reducing the risk of running-related overuse injuries.The purpose of this study was to systematically alter the trunk lean angle in distance running using an auditory real-time feedback approach and to derive dose-response relationships between sagittal plane trunk lean angle and lower extremity(cumulative)joint loading to guide overuse load management in clinical practice.Methods:Thirty recreational runners(15 males and 15 females)ran at a constant speed of 2.5 m/s at 5 systematically varied trunk lean conditions on a force-instrumented treadmill while kinematic and kinetic data were captured.Results:A change in trunk lean angle from-2°(extension)to 28°(flexion)resulted in a systematic increase in stance phase angular impulse,cumulative impulse,and peak moment at the hip joint in the sagittal and transversal plane.In contrast,a systematic decrease in these parameters at the knee j oint in the sagittal plane and the hip joint in the frontal plane was found(p<0.001).Linear fitting revealed that with every degree of anterior trunk leaning,the cumulative hip joint extension loading increases by 3.26 Nm·s/kg/1000 m,while simultaneously decreasing knee joint extension loading by 1.08 Nm·s/kg/1000 m.Conclusion:Trunk leaning can reduce knee joint loading and hip joint abduction loading,at the cost of hip joint loading in the sagittal and transversal planes during distance running.Modulating lower extremity joint loading by altering trunk lean angle is an effective strategy to redistribute joint load between/within the knee and hip joints.When implementing anterior trunk leaning in clinical practice,the increased demands on the hip musculature,dynamic stability,and the potential trade-off with running economy should be considered.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31470714 and 61701105).
文摘Tree trunk instance segmentation is crucial for under-canopy unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs)to autonomously extract standing tree stem attributes.Using cameras as sensors makes these UAVs compact and lightweight,facilitating safe and flexible navigation in dense forests.However,their limited onboard computational power makes real-time,image-based tree trunk segmentation challenging,emphasizing the urgent need for lightweight and efficient segmentation models.In this study,we present RT-Trunk,a model specifically designed for real-time tree trunk instance segmentation in complex forest environments.To ensure real-time performance,we selected SparseInst as the base framework.We incorporated ConvNeXt-T as the backbone to enhance feature extraction for tree trunks,thereby improving segmentation accuracy.We further integrate the lightweight convolutional block attention module(CBAM),enabling the model to focus on tree trunk features while suppressing irrelevant information,which leads to additional gains in segmentation accuracy.To enable RT-Trunk to operate effectively under diverse complex forest environments,we constructed a comprehensive dataset for training and testing by combining self-collected data with multiple public datasets covering different locations,seasons,weather conditions,tree species,and levels of forest clutter.Com-pared with the other tree trunk segmentation methods,the RT-Trunk method achieved an average precision of 91.4%and the fastest inference speed of 32.9 frames per second.Overall,the proposed RT-Trunk provides superior trunk segmentation performance that balances speed and accu-racy,making it a promising solution for supporting under-canopy UAVs in the autonomous extraction of standing tree stem attributes.The code for this work is available at https://github.com/NEFU CVRG/RT Trunk.
文摘BACKGROUND Patients with Parkinson's disease(PD)exhibit symptoms such as antecollis(AC)and camptocormia(CC).The pathology of these two conditions is unclear.Additionally,standard treatment methods have not been established.The article reports the case of a 65-year-old female patient with AC and CC who was treated with central and peripheral interventions to alleviate symptoms.CASE SUMMARY We present the case of a 65-year-old female PD patient with AC and CC.The course of the disease was 5 years.She was treated with rehabilitation strategies such as sensory tricks and trunk strength training.During the inpatient period,we compared and analyzed the patient's gait,rehabilitation assessment scale score,and angles of her abnormal trunk posture in the first week,the third week,and the fifth week.The patient's stride length increased,indicating that the patient's walking ability was improved.The Unified Parkinson's Disease Scale Part Three score and CC severity score decreased.Furthermore,the score of the other scale increased.In addition,the patient showed significant improvements in AC,upper CC,and lower CC angles.CONCLUSION This case study suggested that sensory tricks and trunk strength training are beneficial and safe for patients with AC and CC.
基金The authors are grateful to the Directorate General of Higher Education,Research,and Technology of Ministry of Education,Culture,Research,and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia and Universitas Gadjah Mada(Indonesian Collaborative Research Project-World Class University Program:No.1566/UN1/DITLIT/Dit-Lit/PT.01.03/2022).
文摘Despite its considerable potential,oil palm trunk(OPT)remains underutilized,largely owing to the cyclical replanting process that occurs every 25–30 years.This study aimed to address this issue by developing an ecofriendly oriented strand board(OSB)using vascular bundles(VBs)from oil palm,both in binderless form and with the incorporation of natural adhesives made from sucrose and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate(ADP).The VB was extracted from OPT using a pressure cooker and mixed with a sucrose-ADP solution at various ratios.The mixture was then pressed at temperatures of 180℃ and 200℃ for 10 min to form boards,which were evaluated based on the Japanese Industrial Standard(JIS)A 5908 for particleboards.Binderless OSB was also manufactured without the use of any adhesive components.Fourier-transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy was conducted to evaluate the VB and its board.The results indicated that the mechanical properties of the binderless OSB met the JIS A 5908 Type 8 requirements.Furthermore,the addition of sucrose-ADP improved the physical and mechanical properties of the board,with an optimal sucrose-to-ADP ratio of 85:15.The OSB with the best properties met the JIS A 5908 Type 13 requirements.The FTIR results indicated that carbonyl groups,furan rings,and lignin played important roles in the bonding properties of the OSB.In conclusion,this research demonstrated the potential of VBs as a raw material for producing environmentally friendly OSB,both in binderless form and with the use of sucrose-ADP.
文摘Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), is a rare abdominal vascular compression syndrome caused by the compression of the proximal celiac trunk by the median arcuate ligament. According to many authors, a low insertion of the diaphragmatic crura or an abnormally high origin of the celiac trunk from the aorta can cause compression of the celiac artery. Usually, patients with MALS are asymptomatic. Computed tomography (CT) angiography of the abdomen is the main imaging modality to confirm the diagnosis. The coexistence of celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery compression by the median arcuate ligament is rarely described in the literature. To our knowledge, until now, a simultaneous combination of three abdominal vascular compressions by the median arcuate ligament has never been described. From this case, we report a simultaneous compression of the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, and renal arteries by the median arcuate ligament.
文摘Trunk function has been identified as an important early predictor of functional outcome after stroke and the same deteriorates on both contralateral and ipsilateral sides of the body following stroke. The primary contribution of the trunk muscles is to allow the body to remain upright, adjust weight shifts, and control movements against constant pull of gravity and is considered central key point of the body. Proximal stability of the trunk is a pre-requisite for distal limb mobility, balance, gait and functional activities and its positive correlation in hemiplegia has been demonstrated in a cross- sectional study. Both isokinetic and handheld dynamometer muscle strength testing demonstrated the weakness of bilateral trunk flexors, extensors and rotator muscles in both acute and chronic hemiplegic patients. This was confirmed by electromyography analysis which identified poor bilateral trunk muscles activity in patients with stroke. Trunk impairment scale is sensitive to evaluate the selective muscle control of upper and lower trunk, and it has been reported that lateral flexion of the trunk is easier than rotation of the trunk and the clinical observation concurs to the difficulty in lower trunk rotation of stroke patients. However, trunk exercises given early after stroke could produce enhanced balance performance post- stroke. This review attempts to report the evidence supporting the involvement of the trunk and its influence on balance and functional performance in post-stroke hemiplegia.
文摘The blood supply to the most of abdominal organs is provided by the branches of CT. The SMA supply caecum, ascends colon, all of the small bowels except the upper part of duodenum. Knowledge of variable anatomy of celiac axis and SMA may be useful in planning and executing radiological interventions such as celiacography and chemoembolization of hepatic and pancreatic tumors. In this study, the uncommon or low percentage cases of CT and SMA are presented in the light of clinical and embryological information. The celiac axises of a total of 30 adult corpses were examined. Dissections of abdominal region were performed in detail according to Cunningham’s manual. Angiographic images of 100 consecutive adult patients who underwent celiac MDCT angiography were evaluated. During autopsies, an incomplete celiac trunk or bifurcation of celiac trunk associated with the hepatomesenteric and gastrosplenic trunks (0.7%) and a celiacomesenteric trunk associated with high origin superior mesenteric artery and gastrosplenic trunk were detected (0.7%). During MDCT angiography, a case of total absence of celiac trunk associated with a hepatosplenomesenteric trunk (0.7%) and also a case of total absence of celiac trunk alone were observed (0.7%). The persistence or unusual development of ventral splanchnic arteries (VSAs) or ventral longitudinal anastomosis may result in variations or the unusual trunks related to celiac axis and SMA. The anomalous trunks of the CT may be result of either the persistence of some parts of the VSAs or ventral longitudinal anastomose that normally disappear or disappearance of parts that normally persist. The prevalence of unusual trunks of celiac axis and SMA in this study is quite low in literature. These abnormal vessels pose problems for surgeons and radiologists. Such vascular anomalies may cause clinical complications following surgical and radiological procedures such as resection of tumor of the pancreatic head, lymphadenectomy, coeliacography, aortic replacement with reimplantation of the trunk and coembolization of pancreatic and liver tumors.
基金supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF)funded by the Ministry of Education,Science and Technology(2012-013997)
文摘The corticoreticular tract （CRT） is known to be involved in walking and postural control. Using diffusion tensor tractography （DTT）, we investigated the relationship between the CRT and gait dysfunction, includ- ing trunk instability, in pediatric patients. Thirty patients with delayed development and 15 age-matched, typically-developed （TD） children were recruited. Fifteen patients with gait dysfunction （bilateral trunk instability） were included in the group A, and the other 15 patients with gait dysfunction （unilateral trunk instability） were included in the group B. The Growth Motor Function Classification System, Functional Ambulation Category scale, and Functional Ambulation Category scale were used for measurement of functional state. Fractional anisotropy, apparent diffusion coefficient, fiber number, and tract integrity of the CRT and corticospinal tract were measured. Diffusion parameters or integrity of corticospinal tract were not significantly different in the three study groups. However, CRT results revealed that both CRTs were disrupted in the group A, whereas CRT disruption in the hemispheres contralateral to clinical mani- festations was observed in the group B. Fractional anisotropy values and fiber numbers in both CRTs were decreased in the group A than in the group TD. The extents of decreases of fractional anisotropy values and fiber numbers on the ipsilateral side relative to those on the contralateral side were greater in the group B than in the group TD. Functional evaluation data and clinical manifestations were found to show strong correlations with CRT status, rather than with corticospinal tract status. These findings suggest that CRT status appears to be clinically important for gait function and trunk stability in pediatric patients and DTT can help assess CRT status in pediatric patients with gait dysfunction.
