Metal artefact suppression at 3 T MRI: comparison of MAVRIC-SL with conventional fast spin echo sequences in patients with Hip joint arthroplasty

Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility and diagnostic value of a new MRI metal artefact reduction pulse sequence called MAVRIC-SL in a 3T MRI environment. Subjects and methods: Two MAVRIC-SL sequences obtained in 61 patients with symptomatic total hip replacement were compared with standard FSE-STIR sequences optimized for imaging around metal. Artefact size was measured on the slice of greatest extent. Image quality, fat saturation, image distortion, visibility of anatomical structures, and detectability of joint abnormalities were visually assessed and graded on qualitative scales. Differences between MAVRIC-SL and FSE sequences were tested with the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: MAVRIC-SL sequences at 3T showed significantly smaller metal artefacts compared to FSE-STIR sequences (p < 0.0001). The general image quality of MAVRIC-SL sequences was reduced with regard to spatial resolution, noise and contrast (p = 0.001), and fat saturation (p < 0.0001). The reduction of artefact size and image distortion significantly improved visualization of joint anatomy (p < 0.0001) and diagnostic confidence regarding implant-associated abnormalities (p = 0.0075 to