Musculoskeletal MRI: dedicated systems

Abstract.

The “dedicated” MRI units have characteristics of high diagnostic accuracy and lower installation and management costs as compared with whole-body systems. The dedicated MRI units are easy to install. The low weight allows their installation also under unfavorable circumstances. In a dedicated system cost-effectiveness and ease of installation must be accompanied by the capability of providing high-quality images. In our experience, the high number of examinations performed, the most part of which provided with the surgical controls, allowed an accurate evaluation of the diagnostic potentialities of the dedicated magnet. We were not able to perform the examinations in only 3 % of cases due to the physical shape of the patient and the clinical condition of the patient which may hinder the correct positioning of the limb. The overlapping of the diagnostic accuracy of the E-scan and Artoscan units in the study of the lower limbs, compared with whole-body units and surgery, prompted us to exploit the potentialities of the E-Scan in the study of the shoulder. We had a good correlation between E-Scan, whole-body units, and surgical findings, which confirmed the high diagnostic accuracy of the dedicated system. In conclusion, in our experience carried out in the musculoskeletal system, the dedicated magnets showed promising results. Their diagnostic reliability and utility was comparable to that obtained from conventional units operating at higher magnetic fields.