title: Multi-detector CT imaging in the postoperative orthopedic patient with metal hardware.
abstract: Multi-detector CT imaging (MDCT) becomes routine imaging modality in the assessment of the postoperative orthopedic patients with metallic instrumentation that degrades image quality at MR imaging. This article reviews the physical basis and CT appearance of such metal-related artifacts. It also addresses the clinical value of MDCT in postoperative orthopedic patients with emphasis on fracture healing, spinal fusion or arthrodesis, and joint replacement. MDCT imaging shows limitations in the assessment of the bone marrow cavity and of the soft tissues for which MR imaging remains the imaging modality of choice despite metal-related anatomic distortions and signal alteration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, 10 Avenue Hippocrate, 1200 Brussels, Belgium. vandeberg@rdgn.ucl.ac.be <vandeberg@rdgn.ucl.ac.be>
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vande Berg
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malghem
authors.forename: Baudouin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maldague
authors.forename: Frederic
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lecouvet
mesh_terms: D016477:Artifacts; D006801:Humans; D008670:Metals; D009984:Orthopedic Fixation Devices; D011184:Postoperative Period; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals