Noninvasive Mapping of the Spinal Canal Hydrodynamic Complaince Using Bond Graph Technique and Magnetic Resonance Imaging

INTRODUCTION The aim of this paper is to present a noninvasive method for quantifying the spinal canal hydrodynamic compliance from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) measurements of volumetric cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow. The spinal canal compartment contributes to the overall compliance of the craniospinal system. Thus it plays an important role in regulating craniospinal hydrodynamics and intracranial pressure. Limited information is available on the range of spinal canal compliance values in humans. Even less is known about the distribution of the compliance along the spinal canal, in the healthy and the diseased states, as current methods require injection of fluid into the CSF spaces and thus are associated with risk and morbidity [1].