MRI after total knee replacement?

[VikingFan]

Hi all,

I might need an MRI on my back after my total knee replacment last June. I'm kind of getting the run around from everyone regarding whether this is possible after TKR. I talked to my Orthopaedist's nurse and basically I was told it depends on the facility doing the MRI. Does this sound right?

 

[Josephine]

Well, I'm no expert but I cannot see the problem .. they'll be scanning your back not your knee!

Trouble with MRI scans is that they heat up metal which can go on heating up for sometime after the scan is finished and take ages to cool down again. I have a friend who has some plates and screws in her spine and they tried to MRI her but she could feel the metalware getting warm so they stopped. But for a couple of hours it continued to heat up and didn't actually get normal again until about 24hrs later. It was scary, to say the least.

But they were actually scanning her spine. I would have thought they could keep your legs out and masked with a lead protector or something similar.

But as I say - I'm no expert.

 

[JudyS]

I am 3 months post op of a hip replacement.
I just had an MRI of my knee. The technician said it should not heat up, but if it did push the button to let him know.

I had no problems.
Judy

 

[beachcomber]

I had a lumbar spine MRI after my PKR. No problems at all. I just told them ahead of time and they said "no problem". It might depend on the type of MRI machine tho. The older ones might pose more of a problem than the new, open ones.

Hi all,

I might need an MRI on my back after my total knee replacment last June. I'm kind of getting the run around from everyone regarding whether this is possible after TKR. I talked to my Orthopaedist's nurse and basically I was told it depends on the facility doing the MRI. Does this sound right?

 

[DaveW]

You should have no problem as others have posted.