title: An evaluation of three commercially available metal artifact reduction methods for CT imaging.
abstract: Three commercial metal artifact reduction methods were evaluated for use in computed tomography (CT) imaging in the presence of clinically realistic metal implants: Philips O-MAR, GE's monochromatic gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) using dual-energy CT, and GSI monochromatic imaging with metal artifact reduction software applied (MARs). Each method was evaluated according to CT number accuracy, metal size accuracy, and streak artifact severity reduction by using several phantoms, including three anthropomorphic phantoms containing metal implants (hip prosthesis, dental fillings and spinal fixation rods). All three methods showed varying degrees of success for the hip prosthesis and spinal fixation rod cases, while none were particularly beneficial for dental artifacts. Limitations of the methods were also observed. MARs underestimated the size of metal implants and introduced new artifacts in imaging planes beyond the metal implant when applied to dental artifacts, and both the O-MAR and MARs algorithms induced artifacts for spinal fixation rods in a thoracic phantom. Our findings suggest that all three artifact mitigation methods may benefit patients with metal implants, though they should be used with caution in certain scenarios.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Physics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA. The University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Jessie Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Kerns
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Nute
authors.forename: Xinming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Peter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Balter
authors.forename: Francesco C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Stingo
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Followill
authors.forename: Dragan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mirkovic
authors.forename: Rebecca M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: Stephen F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Kry
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D003723:Dental Amalgam; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal; D006622:Hip Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008670:Metals; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D012984:Software; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D003723:Dental Amalgam