What really happens if you get an MRI with ferrous metal in you?

[OrganizedChaos]

Did some googling but but just found lots speculation. Some people claimed it would be torn out of you, others that it would vibrate and heat up, another said it would just distort the image.

?

 

[shiner]

I'm gonna go with ripped out of you for $100 Alex.

All I know is one of the guys I work with has a metal rod in his spine and they won't let him have an MRI because they said it would rip it out of him if he did.

Which I imagine would be kind of a bummer.

 

[kedlav]

magnetic material inside human flesh + giant magnet. Who the fuck needs an expert?

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: kedlav
magnetic material inside human flesh + giant magnet. Who the fuck needs an expert?

Seriously now, who can't answer this right away?

EDIT: Depends on the amount. A small grain may not make it all the out of the body.

 

[natto fire]

First and foremost, why do you have amounts of metal in you that you are worried about?

While I cannot give you anymore than speculation myself, I would think that it largely depends on how much metal we are talking about and how strong the particular MRI machine is. They can range from 5 to 30 thousand gauss. They can pull things like paper clips and other small metal things right from people's pockets and the field is especially strong the closer you get to the magnet, which is very close to the patient being imaged.

 

[shiner]

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy
First and foremost, why do you have amounts of metal in you that you are worried about?

Black Friday deal on a stainless steel dildo?

 

[Xylitol]

It'll get ripped out of you

 

[Jeff7]

Do a Google image search for "MRI chair." Powerful magnets + metal = dangerous, and potentially fatal.
Obviously, ask a real expert before doing it.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: shinerburke
I'm gonna go with ripped out of you for $100 Alex.

All I know is one of the guys I work with has a metal rod in his spine and they won't let him have an MRI because they said it would rip it out of him if he did.

Which I imagine would be kind of a bummer.

For the most part, orthopedic implants aren't affected by the magnetic field, but may affect the image quality. I have titanium screws in my leg and have had 2 MRI's of the knee with no problem.

That being said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g5UVrOt2CI

http://www.simplyphysics.com/flying_objects.html

http://www.aboutsafety.com/article.cfm?id=1100

 

[Shawn]

I doubt it'll get ripped out of you. I don't think the MRI is that powerful.

 

[feelingshorter]

I watched the Myth Busters episode where it tests what happens to someone who has a tattoo that uses metallic ink. Apparently nothing since the amount of iron is so little. But when your talking about a large chunk of metal, i would think it will be torn out of you. During the Myth Busters episode I was talking about, The metal ink container got too close to the machine and it flow out of the try and into the machine. The operator had to pull it back out while it was suspended in mid air. I dont know the amount of force that the magnets can really generate but looking at the size of the machine...and know that certain magnets can easily crush your hand and even pull my body weight should i hang on to it.

 

[LordMorpheus]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: shinerburke
I'm gonna go with ripped out of you for $100 Alex.

All I know is one of the guys I work with has a metal rod in his spine and they won't let him have an MRI because they said it would rip it out of him if he did.

Which I imagine would be kind of a bummer.

For the most part, orthopedic implants aren't affected by the magnetic field, but may affect the image quality. I have titanium screws in my leg and have had 2 MRI's of the knee with no problem.

That being said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g5UVrOt2CI

http://www.simplyphysics.com/flying_objects.html

http://www.aboutsafety.com/article.cfm?id=1100

This is one of many reasons that ferrous metals are avoided in implants and the like.

 

[feelingshorter]

Originally posted by: Shawn
I doubt it'll get ripped out of you. I don't think the MRI is that powerful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g5UVrOt2CI

as the other user posted above... Hell yes it will get ripped out of you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g5UVrOt2CI

http://www.unitednuclear.com/magnets.htm

THat websites sell magnets that are hella powerful. I believe one of them is the size of my hand but can suspend my body weight in the air..

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: Shawn
I doubt it'll get ripped out of you. I don't think the MRI is that powerful.

It's pretty much either going to be ripped out or it's going to take you with it.

Text

EDIT: If it's just a tiny screw, you'd feel it but I doubt anything more than that. But maybe a chunk of shrapnel or other object not secured to bone is going to be a learning experience.

 

[novasatori]

one of those links said...

"One woman who underwent an MRI died after a [paper]clip became imbedded in her brain."

:shocked:

 

[Throckmorton]

What about the iron in your bloodstream and tissues? Does it get all get pulled to one side or something?

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Throckmorton
What about the iron in your bloodstream and tissues? Does it get all get pulled to one side or something?

Iron in the blood is not ferromagnetic.

 

[Soundmanred]

It happened on House, so duh, it's for realz.
Seriously though - it can, and will, happen.

 

[allisolm]

Originally posted by: Soundmanred
It happened on House, so duh, it's for realz.
Seriously though - it can, and will, happen.

LOL
That's what I was thinking. On House, a handcuff key did a lot of damage, so it must be true.

 

[aphex]

Both times I had MRI's, i couldn't get the image of something flying into the machine out of my brain. That is, until they turned the damn thing on and suddenly I was shaken from being able to think at all.

 

[Deeko]

Originally posted by: Soundmanred
It happened on House, so duh, it's for realz.
Seriously though - it can, and will, happen.

hahah, yea I figured that's what sparked this thread.

 

[wwswimming]

edit

 

[PottedMeat]

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy
First and foremost, why do you have amounts of metal in you that you are worried about?

Black Friday deal on a stainless steel dildo?

Heh that sounds cold.


I thought House sparked this question too - when he wasnt sure if a bullet was ferrous, so he stuck a corpse in a MRI and broke it, and the LL Cool J one where they let the MRI suck out his ferrous jailhouse tattoos ( this one I think was busted on mythbusters ).

 

[Uppsala9496]

The machine freaks out and alarms start going nuts. It basically shuts down.

I was with my dad about 2 years ago and this happened. He still has some shrapnel in his knee from Vietnam. So, when they ask if you have any metal in you, try not to forget if you do. If you forget, there are safeguards in place to prevent the metal from being ripped from your body or moved around.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: shinerburke

Originally posted by: Captain Howdy
First and foremost, why do you have amounts of metal in you that you are worried about?

Black Friday deal on a stainless steel dildo?

Stainless steel isn't magnetic so you can leave it in place during the procedure...