I have metal in my back. What would happen if I get an MRI?

Question

My doctor told me it would hurt me to get an MRI since I have metal in my back, but another doctor said it wouldn't do anything to hurt me, but would prevent a clear picture.

Please advise!

The people at the imaging place know about the metal in my back. They said it's up to the doctor to decide.

But what is "ferrous or non-ferrous"???

Answer 1

We routinely do MRIs on patients with metal in their backs. It will not hurt you to have a MRI, but yes, it can cause an artifact and degrade the image. Sometimes, one little screw can cause a large artifact, while Harrington rods (lots of metal) will give little artifact. You never really know how much artifact you will get until you try the scan.

Ferrous is a term which describes how much iron is in a material. Non-ferrous implants/hardware is what is being used widely now, since MRI has become so important.

I would get a surgical report from your operating doctor. It will have the type of hardware they put in your back. MRI centers have these reference books in which they can look up hardware by manufacturer. It will say if MRI is contraindicated in your specific case.

Answer 2

Normally, the plates are so well secured that I would be concerned about them tearing out but I would still do the scan if it's clinically necessary. For example, vascular stents normally must be in for six months before the person can be MRId. If they are scanned before this, it's a possiblity that the stent isn't in place well enough and that it could torque resulting in a vessel tear.
Ferrous/non-ferrous is whether or not the material is magnetic and will be affected by the field enough to perturb the material in your back.
My big concern though would be heating. it's likely that the metal is going to absorb the heat deposited by the MRI. How will this affect you? Well, we've had patients which have been physically burned externally due to imaging.
It's possible that the metal could affect your imaging however it's likely going to be less severe then what is experienced in CT. Any small amount of metal will ruin a CT image. However, if the staff knows it's there; it can be read around on an MRI. Look at the attached image.
My advice would be to find out what is in your back. That might involve going to whomever did the original surgery. This will give your doctors a better idea what they are dealing with.

Answer 3

Found this....

What are the risks of an MRI scan?

An MRI scan is a painless radiology technique which has the advantage of avoiding x-ray radiation exposure. There are no known side effects of an MRI scan. The benefits of an MRI scan relate to its precise accuracy in detecting structural abnormalities of the body. Patients who have any metallic materials within the body must notify their physician prior to the examination or inform the MRI staff. Metallic chips, materials, surgical clips, or foreign material (artificial joints, metallic bone plates, or prosthetic devices, etc.) can significantly distort the images obtained by the MRI scanner. Patients who have heart pacemakers, metal implants, or metal chips or clips in or around the eyeballs cannot be scanned with an MRI because of the risk that the magnet may move the metal in these areas. Similarly, patients with artificial heart valves, metallic ear implants, bullet fragments, and chemotherapy or insulin pumps should not have MRI scanning.

Answer 4

I found an answer for you. Basically if its magnetic / ferrous then you dont want to get an MRI but if its non-ferrous its up to you. The DR is supposed to be the one who knows so he can tell you yes or no. I havent found any solid answers about pins or plates ripping through someone but there are sites that report people with tatoos from over 20 years ago when metal was used in the ink had some burning sensations. If you are not sure get an xray first that way they can "see" what is up with your back before you go into that big noisy tube.


From Wikipedia "Common ferrous metals include the various irons and steels. Common non-ferrous metals include aluminium, tin, copper, zinc and brass, which is an alloy of copper and zinc. The precious metals silver, gold and platinum are also non-ferrous."

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-ferrous_metals

Answer 5

Now for the bottom line and the correct answer. The MRI techs. will ask you about any metal in your body. Any metal will make you unable to even enter the room with the magnet. It does not matter what kind of metal, I have been to presentations by MRI groups and we discussed this very issue.

Answer 6

ferrous = iron or iron based
non-ferrous means non-iron....another type of metal

if you have Harrington Rods for repair of Scoliosis then they are most likely Titanium.
I've had a CT scan before, but not an MRI....I was allowed to stand beside my mom when she had an MRI and was okay because Titanium does not hold a magnetic charge.
Talk to the doctor or tech doing the test....if they do not know; then have them call an orthapedist if you do not have one.

if you need more information plz visit here

http://www.scoliosis.org/

Answer 7

You must tell them about the metal and they can not do the MRI because the magnetic force is so great it would tear the metal right through the skin. An MRI would be life threatening to you, so for God's sake don't have one done.

Answer 8

I would really look into this. I have an implant in my back and am unable to have MRI's. The magnet used is very strong and can actually dislocate the metal object. The only thing I can think of is that some metals aren't attracted to magnets. I would check with the surgeon who worked on your back to begin with.
Good luck!

Answer 9

MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. The MRI is esentially a giant magnet. As a result, Any significant amount of metal in/attatched to your body would probably hurt you alot.

Answer 10

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RE:
I have metal in my back. What would happen if I get an MRI?
My doctor told me it would hurt me to get an MRI since I have metal in my back, but another doctor said it wouldn't do anything to hurt me, but would prevent a clear picture.

Please advise!