Can you still get a MRI with an artifical disc

Karger · #1 (**permalink**) 02-12-2014, 08:30 PM

I am curious, after you have an ADR put in, can you still get an MRI? Can you still go to the chiropractor?

Karger

Maria · #2 (**permalink**) 02-12-2014, 11:09 PM

You can still get an MRI I'm pretty sure.
That's a good question about the chiro. Are you thinking for the same area that's getting the ADR or for another part of your spine?

I'd probably wait until a good recovery period has passed with the area that has surgery and then I guess you would have to see from there how the surgery affects things.

I haven't ever gone to a chiropractor however I have gone to Osteopathic doctors that do manipulation. I've not had any hardware installed but I won't let anyone do any high velocity work on me or crunching.

Karger · #3 (**permalink**) 03-07-2014, 07:05 PM

Thanks Maria for your response. I've seen a chrio for years and it really helps me. I would need an ADR on the l5. I would def wait a few months until completely healed before would consider going back to the chrio. just curious if anyone with an ADR continued to see a chrio after the implant was done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maria

You can still get an MRI I'm pretty sure.
That's a good question about the chiro. Are you thinking for the same area that's getting the ADR or for another part of your spine?

I'd probably wait until a good recovery period has passed with the area that has surgery and then I guess you would have to see from there how the surgery affects things.

I haven't ever gone to a chiropractor however I have gone to Osteopathic doctors that do manipulation. I've not had any hardware installed but I won't let anyone do any high velocity work on me or crunching.

Jim M2 · #4 (**permalink**) 03-09-2014, 03:22 AM

Hi Karger, I've had three lumbar MRIs since getting an implant over 10 years ago. You can't see much in the immediate vicinity of the artificial disc due to artifact but the other levels show up just fine. I would not let a chiro give me crack the back therapy. Ask your chiro if he would adjust you. I'd like to know what a chiro thinks about it.

Jim M2 · #5 (**permalink**) 03-09-2014, 03:25 AM

I forgot to mention that a CT does a pretty good job of imaging around the artificial disc.

mmglobal · #6 (**permalink**) 03-09-2014, 11:23 AM

There are multiple issues with metal and MRI's. If you have some kinds of spinal cord stimulators, you can't have MRI because of the potential for the magnet to move the leads, potentially damaging the spinal cord.

Another issue, as mentioned above is the artifact or distortion. MRI is magnetic resonance imaging. Metal distorts the image generated by MRI. Unless there are other issues (like spinal cord stimulator leads) you may have MRI with ADR's. However, the image near the adr will be completely blown out. CT scans will also be blown out around the ADR. When Jim was saying that CT is better, he was probably thinking about the post myelogram xrays. Myelogram usually includes a post-myelogram CT.

I have seen MRI's in a patient without any metal implants, following a simple endoscopic discectomy. They may have substantial artifact from microscopic metal particles left behind by the tools used in the surgery.

The images below are from the same patient. Following a failed Maverick ADR surgery, he was continuing to have tests.

Note that if you are in this situation, you've got serious trouble (as is the case if you have a failed fusion.)

Pre-ADR MRI

Post-ADR MRI (blown out by artifact)

Post-ADR, post-myelogram CT (blown out by artifact)

Post-ADR, myelogram Xrays (note that the cauda equina (spinal cord) is nicely outlined by the contrast that was injected for the myelogram.