MR of the arm
MRI of the shoulder is a completely safe, non-invasive and painless examination. It allows accurate imaging of both soft tissues and bony structures of the body. Our laboratory has one of the most modern MRI machines in Poznan and Poland, namely Siemens Magnetom Sola 1.5T. Images made with this apparatus are characterized by extraordinary quality, unparalleled among older generation apparatus. On top of that, the inside of the MRI is 10 cm larger in diameter, providing comfort for claustrophobic patients without compromising the quality of the examination, which happens in so-called open MRIs.
Anatomy of the arm (humerus)
The arm is part of the upper limb and is located between the shoulder joint (shoulder rim) and the elbow joint (connecting to the forearm). The bony part of the arm is the long humerus, in which the proximal end, shaft and distal end can be distinguished. At the top (at the proximal end), the arm connects to the trunk and co-forms the axilla.
This area provides support for muscles that do not allow the upper limb to move and carry than weights.
Indications for magnetic resonance imaging of the arm
- Inflammatory processes of bone and periosteal soft tissues,
- rheumatoid processes,
- Benign and malignant tumors,
- Pre- and post-operative evaluation,
- Assessment of lesions and post-traumatic complications,
- bone necroses
- nerve and vascular injuries
- degenerative bone processes
- Bone injuries and fractures, including fatigue fractures
What are the contraindications to an MRI of the arm?
- pacemakers, defibrillators or cardiac pacemakers
- insulin pumps
- neurostimulators
- Hearing prostheses, intracochlear implants
- Any ferromagnetic prosthesis (old type), metal bullets after being shot, metal filings (especially in the eye) and other metals placed in the body.
- Dental implants, retainers or even fixed braces are not a contraindication to the test.
- Currently, a large number of implants are not a contraindication to examination in the high electromagnetic field found in MRI, because they are created from alloys of materials that do not show ferromagnetic properties, such as titanium.
A special contraindication is the patient’s pregnancy, especially the first trimester! Patients during pregnancy are strongly discouraged from having an MRI unless the mother’s life is at risk and the test cannot be postponed.
Course of MR examination of the arm
On the day of the examination, you must appear half an hour before your appointment to complete the questionnaire. We ask that each patient bring all medical records pertaining to the area being examined, i.e. previous descriptions and records of imaging studies, hospital discharges, appointment cards, etc.
No special preparation is needed for the examination without the use of contrast agent. The MRI examination of the arm lasts from 45 minutes to one hour (in the case of examinations with contrast). During the examination, you should lie as still as possible, in particular, you cannot move the examined arm.
The MRI makes loud noises during the test, but the patient is always given earplugs or headphones to muffle the noise.