Comments on: FDA’s MAUDE Database Appears To Be Restored http://mrimetaldetector.com/blog/2009/11/fdas-maude-database-appears-to-be-restored/ Info on ferromagnetic detection and MRI safety & screening Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:25:20 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Tobias Gilk http://mrimetaldetector.com/blog/2009/11/fdas-maude-database-appears-to-be-restored/comment-page-1/#comment-3780 Tobias Gilk Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:49:10 +0000 http://mrimetaldetector.com/blog/?p=652#comment-3780 Rick, almost all surgically implanted metals (plates, screws, pins, etc...) will have some distortion effects on an MRI image, but the area that is obscured will depend mostly on what kind of metal these are made of. The more magnetic the metal, the bigger the volume where imaging would be useless. There are special techniques, available on some MRI scanners, that can be used to greatly minimize the artifacts created by scanning metal. Often the 'black hole' artifact surrounding a metal implant is limited to a couple of centimeters, but this is dependent upon the material in the screws. I would recommend that you get as much information as you can about the screws (how many, who made them, model or serial numbers, when they were implanted, precisely where they're implanted) and what it is that your doctor wants to diagnose with the MRI scan, and ask to talk with the radiologist at the hospital or imaging center you would go to. With this information, the radiologist should be able to figure out if there's a good chance of getting useful information from your scan or not... or even whether it would be safe for you to have such an exam. Rick, almost all surgically implanted metals (plates, screws, pins, etc…) will have some distortion effects on an MRI image, but the area that is obscured will depend mostly on what kind of metal these are made of. The more magnetic the metal, the bigger the volume where imaging would be useless. There are special techniques, available on some MRI scanners, that can be used to greatly minimize the artifacts created by scanning metal.

Often the ‘black hole’ artifact surrounding a metal implant is limited to a couple of centimeters, but this is dependent upon the material in the screws.

I would recommend that you get as much information as you can about the screws (how many, who made them, model or serial numbers, when they were implanted, precisely where they’re implanted) and what it is that your doctor wants to diagnose with the MRI scan, and ask to talk with the radiologist at the hospital or imaging center you would go to.

With this information, the radiologist should be able to figure out if there’s a good chance of getting useful information from your scan or not… or even whether it would be safe for you to have such an exam.

]]> By: rick http://mrimetaldetector.com/blog/2009/11/fdas-maude-database-appears-to-be-restored/comment-page-1/#comment-3775 rick Sat, 06 Feb 2010 13:04:35 +0000 http://mrimetaldetector.com/blog/?p=652#comment-3775 Do you have any information about metal implants affecting the image? I'm being pressured to have an MRI, but I wonder if there's any point. How far from the metal (in my lumbar spine) will the image be clouded? I can't find any information online. I'd appreciate a link if you know of anything about this. Do you have any information about metal implants affecting the image? I’m being pressured to have an MRI, but I wonder if there’s any point. How far from the metal (in my lumbar spine) will the image be clouded? I can’t find any information online. I’d appreciate a link if you know of anything about this.

]]> By: Can We Still Call Them ‘Never Events’ When Accidents Happen So Frequently In MRI? « MRI Metal Detector Blog http://mrimetaldetector.com/blog/2009/11/fdas-maude-database-appears-to-be-restored/comment-page-1/#comment-3040 Can We Still Call Them ‘Never Events’ When Accidents Happen So Frequently In MRI? « MRI Metal Detector Blog Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:13:43 +0000 http://mrimetaldetector.com/blog/?p=652#comment-3040 [...] database of medical device accidents which, for months, appeared to be malfunctioning, and recently was repaired. Second, there was my post in which I identified 5 MRI ‘Never Events’ which, if [...] [...] database of medical device accidents which, for months, appeared to be malfunctioning, and recently was repaired. Second, there was my post in which I identified 5 MRI ‘Never Events’ which, if [...]

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