Imaging Technology

Continued...

"MRI is painless and there are no known side effects or after effects," says Frank Mangano, M.D., Medical Director of North County MR Center in Vista, California. "Only occasionally do physicians inject fluid into a joint, particularly the shoulder, to define the tissues involved better."

No Metal Allowed

If your doctor is considering MRI for you, it is extremely important that she have a detailed record of your medical history to determine whether you have metal implants in your body such as surgical staples or screws or an implanted drug-infusion device.

Although metal implants do not generally preclude you from having an MRI, one patient who had an aneurysm clip on a blood vessel in the brain died as a result of MRI because the magnetic force dislodged the clip.

Before you enter the MRI chamber, the technician should ensure that you leave all metal objects such as jewelry; coins, belts containing metal, hairpins, keys and credit cards outside of the scan room.

In addition, if you have permanent eyeliner, the machine may cause some swelling or edema around the eyes. Some makeup may contain iron and magnetic particles and should be removed.

MRI can identify with extraordinary clarity the degree of injury to tendon, ligament, cartilage and bone. "MRI has revolutionized body imaging in sports medicine, particularly for soft-tissue injuries like tendon and cartilage tears," Mangano says.

In the past, the available procedures could only indicate whether or not a tear existed, whereas MRI can detect the exact length of a tear.

This exactness can have significant implications for the management and treatment of your injury. A case of knee pain that can be treated conservatively is obviously different from a partial tear in the meniscus (the cartilage inside of the knee), which would need surgery.

There is one particular orthopedic use of MRI that is particularly helpful to women.

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Foreword: Billie Jean King

Comments by Barb Harris
Editor in Chief,
Shape Magazine

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