Mri Scan On Shin

[jackthehat]

During the recent high winds my Mum had a car door blow shut against her shin.

There is some superficial damage but she assures me it doesn't really hurt that much.

An x-ray threw up a possible lesion on the bone and so she is now booked in for an MRI scan.

As it is just her shin, will she need to be inserted into the large MRI scanner? These are my only experience of them but mine was for lumbar-spine problems which seems fair enough...

Mum is severely claustrophobic and is terrified at the thoughts of going into the MRI chamber. 

Have any of you knowledgeable ABers had MRI scans on bits of you that didn't require full immersion?

Many thanks.

 

[Canary42]

I had a head scan which wasn't too bad an experience - not sure I would have been happy any further in.  

The Consultant showed me the result and pointed out the brain damage, but it might as well have been a map of the moon for all it meant to me 😀.

[Toorak]

Canary, when I had a head/brain scan they insisted I wore a hospital gown and I was freezing. They eventually gave me a blanket to warm me up after I told them I was freezing. I have no idea why I could not have worn my own  clothing (maybe minus any metal stuff like zips).

[Smowball]

Totally agree - I had my own clothes on but was still freezing! 

[Canary42]

Ordinary clothes and I don't recall any cold. 

[Canary42]

Incidentally, mine was in a mobile unit parked outside the hospital back door, then I had to make my way inside the hospital to see the Consultant (finding his TIA Clinic was the most trying part of my visit 😀). 

[New Judge]

"...(maybe minus any metal stuff like zips)."

Zips are not a problem in the MRI room or under its machine. The principle hazard is only with ferrous metals (i.e. those influenced by magnetism) and the peril is that they can become detached or unanchored, being attracted to the centre of the machine. So strong is the magnetic field in and around the machine that anything like that will act as a missile and will likely severely damage anybody or anything in the vicinity. Zips are not a problem as they are usually non-ferrous and are well anchored. Another problem lies with metalic implants such as pacemakers, inside the patient. These can become displaced or dislodged so MRI scanning is not suitable for people with them.