Postoperative MRI of the Ankle and Foot

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Foot and ankle disorders frequently require surgical intervention.
• Postoperative surveillance relies on imaging, with radiography as the initial step.
• Computed tomography and MR imaging offer further diagnostic capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review common surgical techniques for foot and ankle disorders.
• To describe normal and abnormal postoperative MR imaging findings.
• To identify potential complications visible on MR imaging.

Main Methods:

• Selection of common surgical procedures for foot and ankle.
• Detailed review of postoperative MR imaging appearances.
• Discussion of MR imaging protocol adjustments, including metal artifact reduction.

Main Results:

• MR imaging is highly accurate for soft tissue assessment in the postoperative foot and ankle.
• Specific surgical approaches correlate with distinct postoperative MR imaging characteristics.
• Identification of common complications and their MR imaging signatures.

Conclusions:

• Understanding postoperative MR imaging is crucial for evaluating surgical outcomes in foot and ankle.
• MR imaging, with optimized protocols, effectively visualizes soft tissues and potential complications.
• This review provides a guide for radiologists interpreting postoperative foot and ankle MR scans.