External Fixation Devices in MRI

Our MRI Safety team has successfully used validated computational modeling and simulation (CM&S) to identify the worst-case size, configuration, material, orientation, and MRI system for a wide range of medical devices. External fixation devices behave differently in the magnetic resonance (MR) environment than fully implanted devices and have unique characteristics with respect to radiofrequency (RF) induced heating. The conductivity of the external metallic components in air can cause a high temperature rise in the internal components residing in the bone and surrounding tissue. RF-induced heating simulation based on ASTM F2182 can be used to investigate the important parameters of external fixation devices for identifying the worst-case construct for subsequent physical testing.