Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

What You Need To Know About MRI

Learn how MRI works, who it is for, and what to expect during your visit.

Foot and Ankle MRI Imaging

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the fastest and safest non-invasive method to get the clearest pictures of your foot and ankle condition. Since their invention in the late 1970’s, MRI has grown to become an indispensable part of practice for podiatric and orthopedic physicians.

MRI allows us the ability to see inside the body and visualize a structure, determine the extent of injury, and provide focused treatment. MRI does this all without using X-rays. Instead, it uses a magnetic field that absorbs or deflects the electric charge given off by the cells themselves, then creates a picture from that deflected charge.

While MRI has universal applications, not everyone qualifies for its use. Those with brain aneurysm clips, metallic foreign bodies in the eye, recent surgery with orthopedic implants, pacemakers, or cochlear implants should not use MRI. Our technologists are trained to determine if MRI will be allowable for use.

If your provider has recommended imaging to evaluate a foot or ankle concern, our team will review your history, confirm you are a candidate for MRI, and schedule your scan so treatment planning can move forward without delay.

The Foot Care Center MRI Experience

Our practice has had MRI machines on location in several of our facilities since January 2007. The MRIs we use are open machines. You do not have to lie in a tube. You comfortably sit in an attached chair and simply place your leg in the machine while the MRI takes its pictures.

We use industry-leading Extremity OPEN MRI machines to offer advanced imaging technology to our patients. Aside from being open machines, our machines are much quieter than traditional MRIs, making the experience more comfortable for patients who may feel anxious about closed-bore imaging.

The MRI process typically takes around one hour. All of our MRI scans are read by a board-certified musculoskeletal MRI radiologist who provides a report within 24 hours of your scan. An appointment will then be made with your doctor to review the MRI results and discuss treatment based on the findings.

Let the doctors at Foot Care Center, using our open MRI, help you find and fix your concerns so you can get back to the activities that matter most to you.