Artifacts Mimicking Hardware Loosening After Iterative Metal Artifact Reduction (iMAR) Processing in Spinal Surgery
Jason P Park1, Anton O Beitia2, Avraham Y Bluestone2
1Radiology, Stony Brook University Hospital, Stony Brook, USA.
Cureus
|February 21, 2025
Summary
Iterative metal artifact reduction (iMAR) in CT imaging can create misleading hypodense lucencies around spinal implants. Careful interpretation alongside pre-processed data is crucial to avoid misdiagnosis of hardware loosening or infection.
Area of Science:
- Radiology
- Medical Imaging
- Orthopedic Surgery
Background:
- Metallic implants in computed tomography (CT) imaging cause artifacts, complicating postoperative assessments.
- Interpreting postoperative spinal imaging requires differentiating true pathology from imaging artifacts.
