Orange City Area Health System is the first hospital in the region to offer imaging technology for joint replacements and implanted devices

New, Breakthrough MRI Technology Now Available at Orange City Area Health System for Imaging around Metal Implants Orange City Area Health System (OCAHS) is now offering MAVRIC SL, a novel magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique designed to address the growing clinical need to more accurately image soft tissue and bone in patients with MR Conditional-labeled implants, such as joint replacements and other instrumentation. OCAHS is the first in Northwest Iowa to be using this new technique to image patients with metallic implants, such as hips and knees. There are more than 1 million hip or knee replacement (arthroplasty) procedures performed each year in the U.S.¹ The need for arthroplasty revision procedures (a second surgery to correct the failure of an artificial joint) is accelerating significantly due to the increased frequency of joint replacements and the younger ages at which they are being performed. It is estimated that by 2030, the number of revision procedures will increase by 137 percent for hips and 601 percent for knees from 2005.² Patients with complications from joint replacement surgeries may present with pain and/or altered gait mechanics, or may have no symptoms at all. Prior to the availability of MAVRIC SL, achieving quality diagnostic MR images of the anatomy near implants was often not possible due to image distortion caused by metal used in implanted devices. MAVRIC SL reduces image distortion in the regions near MR Conditional metal implants, enabling physicians to see tissue surrounding an implant to help them with diagnosis and defining a course of treatment. In some cases, MAVRIC SL can reduce the need for biopsy or exploratory surgery. “We are pleased to offer this new technology to patients in Northwest Iowa,” stated Marty Guthmiller, CEO of Orange City Area Health System. ‘This will not only allow more accurate diagnoses for those with metallic implants, but also eliminate the need for re-doing studies due to artifacts caused by the metal.” In addition to the technology allowing for imaging of tissue surrounding implants, the upgraded MRI technology at OCAHS offers an improved patient experience through shorter scan times, free-breathing abdominal imaging, and state-of-the-art 3D motion correction. References:

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Center for Health Statistics. National Hospital Discharge Survey: 2010 table, Procedures by selected patient characteristics – Number by procedure category and age. Retrieved May 6, 2013, available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/insurg.htm
2. Kurtz S, Mowat F, Ong K, et al. Projections of primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty in the United States from 2005 to 2030. J Bone Joint Surg Am 2007;89:780–785.