MRI VISIONAIRE Knee Scan

Magnetic Resonance Imaging for VISIONAIRE Patient Matched Instrumentation by Smith & Nephew, Inc.

Greater Waterbury Imaging Center is one of a handful of imaging centers in Connecticut certified to provide specific MR images of the knee anatomy for patients who need knee joint replacement and are using the VISIONAIRE knee product.   The precision of the images is critical to the success of the patient’s surgery and we are proud to be able to provide these scans for the VISIONAIRE knee product.

Imaging Center Requirements

Imaging center requirements to provide high quality knee images to customize the VISIONAIRE product for the patient’s unique anatomy includes the following (images provided courtesy of VISIONAIRE Patient Matched Instrumentation by Smith & Nephew, Inc.):

Visionaire Knee

  • Imaging performed with a dedicated knee coil for the best quality images and the best immobilization of the patient’s knee to minimize patient motion
  • In the event the knee is too large to fit in the knee coil, the body coil can be used with adjustments as needed for signal, positioning and immobilization
  • Extreme care is taken to avoid patient motion with the following tactics:
    • Patient should be in a comfortable position, the leg should be externally rotated and can be flexed up to 15°
    • Use of straps, bands, sand bags or padding is essential to immobilize the knee
  • Correct orientation of the knee images is performed using axial, sagittal and coronal localizers as follows as seen in these images:
  • Visionaire KneeCoverage of the entire bone is required: medial / lateral; anterior / posterior; and head / feet
  • If the patient has metal, the scan may not be possible and this is evaluated with the referring physician on a case by case basis; for example, images with metallic artifacts can possibly be used if the metal artifact is further away than 5cm from the jointVisionaire Knee
  • Distortion of the scanner’s bore must be measured and evaluated for the suitability to provide the precise MR images required for the Visionaire custom product; our technologically advanced MRI scanner has 3D correction software to correct for gradient linearity distortion

Please visit VISIONAIRE for more information.