[Closed] MRItrackworld (knee)

In my case it was feet first, don't remember how far in to the machine I went but my head was certainly out.

The nurse warned me about how it was noisy and potentially claustrophobic, but it was after lunch and I fell asleep 🙂

You should go in feet first and unless you have really short legs chest will be about level with the edge.

Im starting to think you're not a real Dr.

Im starting to think you're not a real Dr.

I am a real Dr just like Dr Dre is a real Dr 🙂

Dre Phd. to you sunshine.

Had a suspected meniscus tear and MRI was feet first. Results were inconclusive so they wanted to have a poke around. I've gone for the 'ignore it and hope for the best' approach which has worked out OK.

aye, your head will be poking out for sure. I have had 3 of the full body ones in the last year and still find it freaky and a bit panicky when fully inside 🙁

I had one last week. It's certainly a tight squeeze in there.

Nothing to panic about. If all else fails just remember that you are laying in a big Thermos. Inside that is roughly one thousand litres of liquid Helium sat at a chilly 4K. If that is not enough running around inside that are some conductors with 400 A running through them.
What could possibly go wrong?

I went in feet first for the same scan a couple of weeks ago.

No tears spotted thankfully, physio and Rule 5 are the recommended course of action for me.

It does sound like you're in the spin cycle of a badly balanced washing machine which was the most worrying bit.

I have had them before for a back problem and the biggest problem was that I nearly fell asleep and dropped the "panic button" thing.

Feet first, knee in a wee cage thing and supported by pads, you go in as far as your chest. You get a decent choice of music. You'll get 4 scans ranging between 2mins 30 seconds and 6 mins 30 seconds. It is bloody hard to keep your leg still for that long.

That's what I got a few weeks back anyway.

For my wrist I went full in, head first, scariest thing I have ever done for 45 minutes.
You'll soon find out if your claustrophobic.

*looks at his MRI*

Depends on the machine. some are open coil and you don't need to be "immersed".

FWIW, I'm about 10m from one of these: [img] [/img]

Quite cool as we can also take weight bearing scans, which is somewhat important in the knee...

^^^^^ wish South Lanarkshire and Glasgow had some of those ones ! I hate the immersed tube feeling, but unfortunately need fairly regular immersions...

[i]*looks at his MRI*[/i]

I was quite chuffed that my shed has a pillar drill in it.

Although yours does look like some weird Kenwood/microwave lashup.

wwaswas - Member
*looks at his MRI*

I was quite chuffed that my shed has a pillar drill in it.

Although yours does look like some weird Kenwood/microwave lashup.

I think there is about £3m worth of medical equipment within 30meters of my desk. All for research use, and x-raying my coffee.

If you think that is kettle like, you should see the experimental setups... very Heath Robinson.

iainc - Member
^^^^^ wish South Lanarkshire and Glasgow had some of those ones ! I hate the immersed tube feeling, but unfortunately need fairly regular immersions...

Surprisingly, many vets have these machines....

The cool thing about it, we can do this:
[img] ?t=1331211334[/img]

Vertical, or anything between supine and 90 degrees, scanning. Lets us look at the effect of weight bearing on joints-vertabrae- etc.

It looks like it's about to close it's jaws now. Like some massive hole punch.

A hole punch would make a mess in a human.

It's ok, panic over 🙂

I had one last week (had a few before too) on my brain/neck. An hour I was in there, luckily I fell asleep :).

I spent 1.5 hours in one and that really sucked, especially as the head cage cradle thing had rubbish cushioning and after a while I could feel 2 what felt like spikes by the end. I highly recommend not getting a head scan in Aberystwyth, I drive down to Swansea by choice for them now!

@stoner 😀

Yes have had one for similar reason, it was just my knee, the machine had a special "mini magnet" which went just over my knee. I think machines can vary. Was quite a modern one (Siemens ?). FYI I have avoided surgery on it (partly as Surgeon said they cannot repair its just cutting to stop pain) but that's been a mistake and will have to have some as 2.5yrs later its still not right.

As an aisde Dr J this cost euro 250 in France inc Doctor's analysis and a copy of printed pictures and a CD. My Mum paid £350 for the same (no CD etc) after NHS one would have been a 12 week wait (she's been incapacitated for 5 months)

Looks far too much like a consumer product for my tastes. I want to feel there is a man in a labcoat with pencils, lots of pencils in his breast pocket needed to make it work. A slide rule in one hand and very unruly hair on his assistant.

I had a similar one recently, they just wrap the knee in a plastic frame. Then you lie as still as possible for 45 mins whilst they torture you with an 80s Gold CD (allegedly to drown out the MRI scan noise)

Check out Pes anserine bursitis - very similar symptoms.

Feet first. That'll get your knee to the magnet centre on a traditional machine. You can run out of travel in the table if you go in head first

Wrists and elbows usually in a prone (or occasionally supine) Superman position in places I've been.

[url= https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=nTAqeT0gVhUC&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=patient+positioning+in+limb+MRI&source=bl&ots=Ki-9NgDhXl&sig=Mx0mimMFdoN9Z-bK0kz1ZTs7fqc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=nkpLVdfjOYOt7gaT7YHQCA&ved=0CD8Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=patient%20positioning%20in%20limb%20MRI&f=false ]Patient positioning in MRI[/url]

Some centres use extremity MRI machines - small bore ones that you just pop the part of interest in
[img] [/img]

@jamba - completely agree that the French system knocks spots off ours. I also experienced the Dutch system - 4 months wait on the "NHS", next day appointment going private.

Just google'd the clinic:

This new scanner also offers a new dimension in patient comfort:
Patients of all sizes and conditions are able to lie more comfortably throughout their examination
A Mood Light on the front panel of the scanner help to maintain a more relaxed scanning environment
An integrated music system or an option for patients to bring an MP3 player or a CD to listen to during their examination

That "mood light" is going to make all the difference!