Convened under the auspicious of esteemed endorsers - ISTA

Saturday, October 9, 2010, 10:20-11:05Session A19: Miscellaneous ArthroplastyMagnetic Resonance Imaging in the Assessment of Total AnkleArthroplasty*M Reza Rahim - Launceston General Hospital - Launceston, Australia*Email: Rezarahim@doctors.org.ukMRI has been little utilised in the post-operative assessment of joint replacement due to theproblem of artifact. With modern machines and sequencing, artifact can be minimised in smalljoints with titanium prostheses. Twenty four consecutive patients implanted with a Buechel-Pappas Total Ankle Replacement underwent MRI examination at an average of 583 days postsurgery to determine its usefulness as an adjunct to x-ray and bone scan in assessing prostheticintegrity and the source of post-operative symptoms.The purpose of the study was to evaluate the use of modified MRI techniques in the assessmentof bone-implant interface, soft tissue changes, bone oedema and extent of osteolysis in settingof total ankle joint replacement and propose a descriptive classification to document thechanges.We found MRI was extremely useful in identifying abnormalities in structures apart from theprosthesis such as occult degeneration in the subtalar joint and ligament pathology. Despite thenew techniques, artifact remains a problem when assessing the bone prosthesis interfacealthough adjacent bone oedema is well seen.MRI has a role in the identification of pathology in the tissues surrounding a TAJR especiallywith unexplained pain in an otherwise well functioning prosthesis. It’s role in the assessment ofprosthetic integrity remains qualitative but further work will be required to correlate MRIfindings with clinical examination.file:///E|/ISTA2010-Abstracts.htm[12/7/2011 3:15:47 PM]