In this study, we examine the use of polarization sensitive-optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) to quantitatively assess the sciatic nerve microenvironment through measurements of birefringence after applying a nerve crush injury in a rat model.  We found that the PS-OCT phase retardation slope, which is proportional to birefringence, increased monotonically with the SFI.  Additionally, histomorphometric analysis of the myelin thickness and g-ratio shows that the PS-OCT slope is a good indicator of myelin health and recovery after injury.  These results demonstrate that PS-OCT is capable of providing nondestructive and quantitative assessment of nerve health after injury and shows promise for continued use both clinically and experimentally in neuroscience.
PS-OCT
In this study, we examine the use of polarization sensitive-optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) to quantitatively assess the sciatic nerve microenvironment through measurements of birefringence after applying a nerve crush injury in a rat model.  We found that the PS-OCT phase retardation slope, which is proportional to birefringence, increased monotonically with the SFI.  Additionally, histomorphometric analysis of the myelin thickness and g-ratio shows that the PS-OCT slope is a good indicator of myelin health and recovery after injury.  These results demonstrate that PS-OCT is capable of providing nondestructive and quantitative assessment of nerve health after injury and shows promise for continued use both clinically and experimentally in neuroscience.
PS-OCT