MR of the hand
Anatomy of the hand
The hand is a colloquial term for the hand, or the area from the wrist joint (inclusive), through the metacarpals, to the phalanges. One of the most accurate methods of diagnosing pain in the hand is by MRI.
This examination is completely non-invasive and painless. This is because during magnetic resonance imaging, a magnet, radio waves and an advanced computer are used, which allows extremely detailed and precise images to be taken showing any pathologies in the hand.
The bones of the hand consist of five long bones that connect to the wrist bones and the corresponding proximal phalanges. Each consists of a shaft, a proximal end, or base, and a distal end, or head.
The next bones of the hand are the phalanges, or finger bones. All fingers except the thumb have middle phalanges. Like any long bone, a phalanx consists of a shaft and two ends.
The individual fingers of the hand have their own names:
- thumb,
- index finger,
- middle finger,
- Heart or ring finger,
- little finger.
What are the indications for MRI hand examination?
The hands are susceptible to a range of injuries that can result from activities of daily living. Not surprisingly, various injuries to this complex of joints, bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles are common. Often, an injury to one component prevents the entire hand from functioning properly, hence the need for a thorough diagnosis of this area using MRI or CT scans.
What ailments are referred to MRI of the hand?
The most common complaints of the hand are:
- dislocation
- subluxation
- breach
- overbreaking
- torsion
- degenerative changes and diseases
- inflammations
- mechanical defects
- Pathological changes such as ganglions
What are the contraindications to an MRI of the hand?
A contraindication to hand/hand examination using MRI is the presence of electronic medical devices or metal components with ferromagnetic properties in the patient’s body, such as a pacemaker, orthopedic screws, insulin pump, etc.
At the same time, it should be noted that each element that has been implanted in the patient’s body has the appropriate certificates with information on what material it is made of.
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.