MRI - Shoulder

Commonly abbreviated as MRI, magnetic resonance imaging uses strong magnetic fields, radio waves, and computers to produce clear and detailed images of the muscles, tendons, bones, and blood vessels. An MRI- shoulder comes in handy in assessing shoulder injuries. If you are to undergo an MRI- shoulder, it is essential to ensure that you inform your doctor about all your health issues, allergies, whether you have undergone recent surgery, and the possibility that you could be pregnant. If you have metal or any device in your body, you should inform your doctor before undergoing the MRI. Even if an MRI is safe, the magnetic field might cause specific devices to malfunction. Different facilities will have different guidelines regarding preparing for an MRI, including whether you should eat or drink. If you seek reliable MRI services, you should contact Los Angeles Diagnostics. Our experienced MRI technologists have been offering the best MRI services to Los Angeles residents for many years.

Undergoing An MRI Of The Shoulder

An MRI of the shoulder reveals clear and detailed images of all the structures within the shoulder, including muscles, tendons, bones, and blood vessels, from many different angles. Magnetic resonance imaging is a safe and non-invasive procedure, which explains why it is so popular. When preparing to undergo an MRI of the shoulder, you should take medication normally unless your doctor advises you otherwise. Ensure that you wear loose and comfortable clothing and leave your jewelry at home. While undergoing the imaging, the technologist may require you to wear a gown.

It would be best if you informed the technologist in advance in case you have anxiety or claustrophobia. In this case, the technologist may recommend a mild sedative before you undergo the MRI procedure. Unlike x–rays, an MRI does not use radiation but uses radio waves, a powerful magnetic field, and a computer to produce detailed images. The detailed images enable the doctor to examine your shoulder and detect disease or injury. The image can be displayed and reviewed on a computer monitor and transmitted electronically, copied on a CD, printed, or uploaded on a cloud server.

The Typical Applications of MRI Procedure

Given the complexity of the shoulder joint, an MRI is an excellent choice for examining it. This imaging helps provide clear views of injuries to the bicep tendons, rotator cuff tears and displays the soft fibrous tissue rim that plays a vital role in stabilizing the shoulder joint. A doctor may recommend an MRI shoulder to help evaluate or diagnose:

• Whether a patient has degenerative joint disorder including labra or tears and arthritis
• To examine and determine the presence of fractures in the shoulder
• Help to identify rotator cuff disorders like impingement, tears, which are the leading causes of shoulder pain in many people, especially in persons above 40 years
• An MRI shoulder also helps to reveal abnormalities resulting from trauma, including tears on the tendons and the ligaments
• A doctor may also recommend an MRI shoulder if you sustain sports-related injuries in your shoulder. An MRI may also be necessary if you exhibit work-related injuries resulting from forceful impact, repeated strain, or vibration when using handheld tools.
• If you have an infection like osteomyelitis, your doctor may recommend a shoulder MRI.
• An MRI will come in handy if you have tumors like metastasis or primary tumors involving the joints and the bones.
• In case of swelling, pain, or bleeding in the tissues within or around the shoulder joint, the doctor may recommend an MRI.
• If you have unexplained and persistent shoulder pain, an MRI might be necessary.
• A shoulder MRI would also be necessary in case of decreased motion in your shoulder.
• After undergoing shoulder surgery, your doctor may recommend an MRI to help assess the progress of the surgery.

Sometimes, the radiologist may have to inject contrast material into your joint to help them obtain more explicit images of the structures within your shoulder. This form of MRI is commonly referred to as magnetic resonance arthrography.

Preparing For An MRI- Shoulder

You do not have to do much to prepare for an MRI shoulder, given that it is a non-invasive procedure. You may have to wear a hospital gown during the process. However, the MRI technologist may allow you to stay in your clothing, especially if the clothing is loose-fitting. You should ensure that your clothing does not contain metal fastenings because these might interfere with the magnetic fields. Whether you should eat or drink before the MRI imaging varies from facility to facility. If the doctor does not advise you otherwise, you should take your food and medication before the MRI procedure.

The MRI technologist may have to inject you with a contrast material to get more explicit images. Therefore, they may ask you if you have health conditions like asthma and whether you are allergic to iodine contrast material, certain drugs, foods, or environments. Many MRI examinations involve using contrast material known as gadolinium.

If you have an iodine contrast allergy, gadolinium may be the best option for you. What if you are also allergic to it?

You can still use gadolinium but only after appropriate premedication. You should inform the MRI technologist if you have had recent surgery or have severe health issues. Medical conditions like kidney failure may require the technologist to avoid certain types of gadolinium contrast, which might be unsafe for parents with kidney disease.

The doctor may need to conduct a blood test to determine whether your kidneys are working the way they should. A woman should inform the technologist if there is a chance that she might be pregnant. This way, the technologist will take the necessary precaution while performing the MRI. The good news is that MRI has been in use for many years on pregnant women without any adverse effects on the mothers and their unborn babies. However, during the imaging, the baby will be subjected to a strong magnetic field. Therefore, it is advisable to avoid undergoing an MRI during the first trimester unless the benefit of the MRI examination outweighs the potential risks. If you are pregnant, gadolinium contrast is not recommended unless it is crucial.

If you have anxiety or fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), you should inform your doctor so that they can recommend a mild sedative if necessary. If an infant or a young child is undergoing an MRI, sedation would be essential or anesthesia to enable the technologist to perform the imaging without the child moving too much.

Whether or not sedation or anesthesia is needed will depend on the child's age, the type of imaging, and intellectual development. You can have sedation provided at any facility. In the case of a child, it is crucial to have a specialist in pediatric anesthesia or sedation to ensure that your child is safe. The technologist will guide you on how to prepare your child before the procedure. There may be no need for sedation or anesthesia in some facilities because they contain personnel who keep a child occupied during the process. MRI dummies are used to prepare the children ahead of the imaging. They even go to the extent of playing noises that the MRI will make to help relieve fear and anxiety.

Some facilities provide children with headsets and goggles to enable children to watch movies while undergoing the imaging. By keeping the child occupied, the child remains calm during the procedure, enhancing the production of high-quality images.

You should avoid wearing jewelry or ensure that you remove them before you undergo the MRI imaging. If you have jewelry or other metal items, they might interfere with the magnetic fields of the MRI unit. Metallic objects are not allowed into the MRI room because they might cause burns or become adverse projectiles within the MRI room. Things that you should not take with you to the MRI room include:

• Watches, credit cards, jewelry, hearing aids, because these might be damaged
• It would be best to also leave behind hairpins, metal zippers, pins, and other metallic items because these might distort the MRI images.
• Metallic dental work
• Body piercings
• Pocket knives, pens, and eyeglasses
• Electronic watches, mobile phones, and tracking devices

Patients With Metal Implants

In most cases, an MRI is safe for patients with metal implants. However, patients with certain types of implants cannot undergo an MRI scan. You should not undergo an MRI imaging or even enter the MRI scanning area if you have the following implants:

• Specific ear (cochlear) implants
• Certain types of clips that are commonly used for brain aneurysms
• Metal coils that are often placed within the blood vessels
• Certain types of older pacemakers or cardiac defibrillators

If you have any of the above implants, you should only undergo an MRI scan or enter the scanning area after undergoing a safety evaluation. If you have any medical or electrical implants, you should ensure that you inform the MRI technologist. These implants could pose a risk or interfere with the MRI scan. Many implants come with an accompanying pamphlet that explains the MRI risks associated with them. If you have such a pamphlet, you should present it to the MRI technologist before the examination. The technologist will not perform the MRI without confirmation and documentation of the type of implant that you have and its MRI compatibility. If you are not sure whether you have metal objects in your body, an x-ray can help reveal any metal implants present in your body.

Most metal implants that doctors use during orthopedic surgery are safe and will not pose any risk during an MRI. However, if you have a recently placed artificial joint, it would be best to consider an alternative to MRI. It would be best if you informed the radiologist or the technologist about any metal present in your body, including bullets and shrapnel. It is imperative to reveal metal objects located close to the eyes because they might heat up and move during the MRI scan, although this is rare. Dyes contained in tattoos might heat up during an MRI because they contain iron, but this is also rare.

Certain cosmetics like braces, tooth fillings, and eye shadows are not affected by the MRI magnetic field. However, these items might distort the images of the MRI scan, and it is essential to inform the technologist about them. If you accompany a patient to the MRI room, you must undergo screening for implanted devices and metal objects.

The MRI Equipment

The conventional MRI units comprise a big cylinder-shaped tube with a circular magnet. The patient lies on a table that slides into the cylinder, positioning the patient at the center of the magnet. In some MRI units, known as short–bore systems, the magnet is positioned in a manner that does not encompass the patient. The latest MRI units come with a larger diameter bore, making them ideal and more comfortable for patients with claustrophobia and larger patients. The open MRI units are effective in providing excellent images for many types of exams. However, certain scans can’t be performed using the open MRI units; the technologist has to use the closed MRI units.

How The MRI Procedure Works

Unlike a CT scan or an x-ray, an MRI scan does not use radiation. Instead, an MRI scan relies on radio waves that realign the naturally-existing hydrogen atoms in the body. An MRI scan is non-invasive and will not cause any chemical change in your tissues. After the realignment, the hydrogen atoms go back to their usual alignment as they release different energy levels depending on the body tissue being examined.

The MRI scanner captures these energy levels and creates an image using this information. MRI units work by passing an electric current through different wire coils, some of which are located inside the device and others around the area being examined. These coils can send and receive radio waves while producing signals that are detectable by the MRI machine. You do not have to worry about this electric current because it doesn’t contact the patient. A computer will process and display the images from the MRI machine on a screen. The doctor can study these images from different angles. The MRI scanner is more effective in distinguishing between healthy and diseased tissue than a CT scan or x-ray. It is also more effective than ultrasound.

During The MRI Scan

An MRI scan is an outpatient procedure, meaning that a patient will undergo the scan and go home the same day. During the exam, the technologist positions the patient on a movable examination table. The technologist may use bolsters and straps to keep the patient in place. The technologist may then place tiny devices that contain coils that receive and send radio waves around the shoulder being examined to help improve the image quality. If the technologist needs to use a contrast material, they will insert an IV catheter in your vein and inject the contrast material.

After placing the patient in the MRI machine, the technologist will perform the MRI exam while working on a computer screen in another room. The technologist will first take a series of images before injecting the contrast material. The technologist will then take some additional images after injecting the contrast material. After completing the scan, the patient will wait as the technologist reviews the images; just in case, it is necessary to take additional images. The IV line is then removed when the scan is complete. An MRI- shoulder scan could take between 15 and 45 minutes depending on the equipment being used and the area being examined.

Interpretation Of The MRI Results

Who interprets the results of an MRI scan?

A doctor trained to supervise and interpret radiology examinations or a radiologist will interpret scan results and send a signed report to your primary physician or the doctor who recommended the MRI exam. The doctor will then share the results with the patient.

The Benefits Of MRI Scans

The following are the top benefits of MRI scans:

• The imaging is non-invasive and does not expose a patient to radiation
• The scan is effective in diagnosing numerous conditions, including bone and muscle abnormalities
• The scan enable doctors to identify patients who may require shoulder surgery after an injury
• It comes in handy in assessing bone fractures, especially when images from other techniques like x-rays are unclear.
• Other imaging might not successfully assess injuries that are obscured by bone, but an MRI scan will still give excellent results.
• The gadolinium contrast, usually used when the radiologist wants to get more explicit images, is less likely to trigger allergic reactions in patients.
• An MRI scan is an excellent alternative to a CT scan and x-ray, given that it is non-invasive.

The Risks Of An MRI Scan

If the doctor, the radiologist, and the patient follow all the proper procedures, an MRI does not pose any risk. However, some of the potential dangers of an MRI scan are:

• There is a risk of using too much sedation. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor the patient's vital signs after using sedation to minimize this risk.
• The strong magnetic field within an MRI scanner is not harmful but might cause a malfunction of implanted devices.
• If contrast material is used, there is a slight risk of an allergic reaction.

Find MRI-Shoulder Services Near Me

If you have suffered a shoulder injury or you often experience constant pain in your shoulder, an MRI-shoulder would come in handy in helping the doctor assess your shoulder to determine the proper treatment. For many years, Los Angeles Diagnostics has provided reliable MRI services to individuals in need of MRI services in Los Angeles. Contact us at 323-486-7502 for reliable MRI services.