S Sivaram Kaushik1, Abhishiek Sharma2, Rajeev Mannem1, Cathy Marszalkowski1, Scott Rand1, Dennis Maiman2, and Kevin M Koch1
1Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States, 2Neurosurgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
Failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) is a commonly encountered clinical condition for which the root cause often remains elusive after lengthy clinical assessment. While MRI provides great potential utility for uncovering the causes of failed back surgery syndrome, it also is confounded by metal-induced artifacts. This study explores the benefits of a prospectively calibrated 3D-MSI metal artifact reduction technique in assessing instrumented FBSS. Residual artifacts and clinical diagnostic impact were assessed on a cohort of symptomatic FBSS subjects. The results of the study indicate diagnostic advantages using calibrated 3D-MSI, even in the presence of lower-susceptibility titanium spinal hardware.
