Publication on MRI Near Metal Hardware

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is increasingly used to evaluate the knee in the setting of metal hardware as techniques continue to improve.  MR Protocols that are optimized for the evaluation of the painful knee without hardware are suboptimal in the presence of metal. This article reviews basic principles behind MR imaging metal artifact reduction sequences, which will allow the radiologist to tailor examinations to match the degree of metal artifact.
MR imaging metal artifact reduction sequences can show diseases that are occult on other imaging modalities.

Improved periprosthetic visualization with UTE-MAVRIC compared with T1-weighted FSE. Patient status after medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty several years previously using cobalt-chromium alloy components (A, B). Sagittal UTE-MAVRIC image (A) allows visualization of a pin tract used for the distal femoral cutting block (arrows), which was not evident on the conventional sequence (B).