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[Rivet-like titanium clamps for refixation of bone covers after craniotomy--radiologic identification, safety and
K D Lerch1, F Morgenstern, K T Lau
1Neurochirurgische Klinik der Städtischen Kliniken Dortmund.
Purpose:
The MRI and CT compatibility of a new design of metallic fixation implants for cranial bone flaps was investigated experimentally and following clinical application in craniotomy patients. Is imaging quality impaired through implant-induced artifacts?
Methods:
Possible induced movement and heating of the clamp implant as well as the magnitude of susceptibility artifacts were assessed experimentally by MRI at 1.5 T. Additionally, implant-induced artifacts were evaluated under clinical conditions for all relevant MRI-sequences in 100 craniotomy patients whose skull flaps were re-affixed using the new clamp implant.
Results:
In T1-weighted spin echo and fast spin echo sequences the sizes of implant-induced artifacts were equal to the size of the implant or slightly larger; in T2-weighted gradient echo images artifacts were maximally double the size of the implant itself. Induced movement or heating was not observed.
Conclusions:
The safety in radiological imaging of titanium clamp implants for fixation of craniotomy bone flaps was established experimentally as well as under clinical conditions. The clamps can be easily identified by radiological imaging, cause no hazards to the patients, and have little effect on image quality.