Can I have a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan with a plate in my wrist?

MRI Safety with a Wrist Plate

Yes, you can safely have an MRI with a plate in your wrist as long as the plate is made of titanium alloy or certain types of stainless steel used in modern orthopedic implants. 1

Safety Considerations for Wrist Implants and MRI

Material Composition Matters

• Titanium alloy implants show minimal interaction with MRI magnetic fields:

  • Average deflection angle of only 4.3° (well below the 45° safety threshold)
  • Minimal temperature change during scanning (0.48°C)
  • Less artifact production compared to stainless steel 1

• Modern stainless steel implants are also generally MRI-compatible:

  • Average deflection angle of 7.7° (still well below safety threshold)
  • Slightly higher temperature change (0.74°C) but still within safe limits 1

Image Quality Considerations

While you can safely undergo an MRI with a wrist plate, be aware that:

1. Metal artifacts will be present but can be minimized by:

   • Using Fast Spin Echo (FSE) sequences which produce smaller artifacts
   • Optimizing scanning parameters (larger bandwidth, smaller field of view)
   • Using STIR sequences rather than T2-FSE fat saturation sequences 1

2. The radiologist should be informed about your implant before the scan to:

   • Select appropriate pulse sequences
   • Optimize parameters to reduce artifacts
   • Properly interpret any artifacts that appear 2

Clinical Value of MRI Despite Metal Implants

Even with a metal plate, MRI remains valuable for evaluating:

• Soft tissue injuries (ligaments, tendons, TFCC)
• Bone marrow changes
• Occult fractures
• Cartilage damage 3

Important Steps Before Your MRI

1. Inform the ordering physician and MRI facility about your wrist plate
2. If possible, bring documentation about the specific implant material
3. The MRI technologist will likely screen you with a questionnaire about implants

When Alternative Imaging May Be Better

In some cases with extensive metal hardware, alternative imaging may be considered:

• CT arthrography may be superior for evaluating certain wrist structures when metal artifacts on MRI would be too problematic 2
• Ultrasound can be useful for evaluating certain soft tissue structures 2

Remember that modern orthopedic implants used in standard wrist plates do not pose additional hazards to patients undergoing MRI at 1.5T or less 1. The main concern is image quality rather than safety.