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Question
29 Jul 2008
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MRI with pins
Dear Doc, please can you help me. I went for a MRI on my spine and forgot to tell them that I had an operation on my foot years ago and they put metal pins in my foot. It only dawned on me when I got home and now I feel like a silly fool. Will it make a difference to the scan? And could it affect the scan?
CyberDoc
Hi Bella
Not all metal implants cause distortion of the scan. Most orthopedic and dental implants are not magnetic. These include hip and knee replacements; plates, screws, and rods used to treat fractures; and cavity fillings. All of these metal implants can distort the MRI image if near the part of the body being scanned, but they will usually not cause problems with the result of the scan.
Dr Bets
Not all metal implants cause distortion of the scan. Most orthopedic and dental implants are not magnetic. These include hip and knee replacements; plates, screws, and rods used to treat fractures; and cavity fillings. All of these metal implants can distort the MRI image if near the part of the body being scanned, but they will usually not cause problems with the result of the scan.
Dr Bets
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