Diseased joints can be difficult to diagnose because MRI imaging is usually used to produce static scans of the relevant anatomy. But probably more than other parts of the body, joints can significantly benefit from being imaged in a dynamic way. Researchers at University of California, Davis have reported developing a new MRI imaging technique that produces videos of wrists in motion.
The technique relies on using “active MRI” to quickly snap images at a 475 ms temporal resolution. The patient simply replicates the wrist motion that’s causing discomfort within the scanner, allowing a physician to better spot exactly what the cause is. The team used a 3 Tesla MRI scanner and showed that the resulting videos are useful in measuring various anatomical characteristics of the wrists.
Here are a couple demo videos of active MRI scans of volunteers moving their wrists:
Study in PLOS ONE: Real-Time Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) during Active Wrist Motion—Initial Observations
UC Davis: New MRI technique illuminates the wrist in motion…