Are titanium implants actually safe for magnetic resonance imaging examinations?

Introduction

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used for the diagnosis, staging, and follow-up of diseases. MRI is a very useful diagnostic tool for musculoskeletal and cerebrovascular imaging, because it has excellent soft tissue contrast and is considered to be safer than other modalities, as it does not expose the body to radiation [1].

However, MRI is not without risks. The presence of a metal implant in the patient’s body during an MRI scan can be dangerous due to excessive magnetic field interactions.

Developments in medicine have led to the use of various implants, such as dental and orthopedic implants, in our bodies [2]. In the field of craniofacial surgery, the use of titanium plates and screws in open reduction and internal fixation procedures has exploded since the late 20th century, and titanium is now considered to be the material of choice for implants. Titanium plates are frequently used for cranioplasty, reconstruction of the facial bones, and reconstruction of the orbital bone, because they yield excellent results without posing any major problems in terms of biosafety [3].

Some physicians, however, have questioned whether titanium implants are actually safe for MRI examinations. The greater the number of elderly patients, the higher the probability of conducting brain MRI due to cerebrovascular disease. This has led to the question of whether widespread use of titanium implants in the craniofacial region is acceptable given the likelihood that patients will undergo brain MRI in the future.

In this paper, we present the mechanism of MRI and its relationship to metals, especially titanium, and review the concerns that have been raised about titanium materials in MRI.

Publication History

Received: 16 December 2018

Accepted: 28 December 2018

Article published online:
28 March 2022

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