Imaging of repaired limbs, spines and faces
| Location: | Nuffield Department of Surgery, Oral and Maxillofacial Department and the University of Oxford Department of Radiology, Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain, John Radcliffe Hospital in conjunction with the Limb Reconstruction Unit and the Department of Radiology, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford. |
|---|---|
| Amount: | £129,611 |
| Status: | Research completed |
| Start Date: | 1st January 2002 |
| Finish Date: | 31st December 2004 |
| Grantholder: | Mr S R Watt-Smith, FDSRCS, MD, Dr S M Smith, DPhil, Dr S J Golding, FRCR, Mr Martin A McNally, MD, FRCS (Orth) and Dr E G McNally, FRCR. |
| Research worker: | Dr J Liu |
Body scans used to produce images of bones can be difficult to interpret if metal implants, screws and plates have been inserted during surgery. The metal obscures the healing area of the bone and can produce spurious signals (artefacts) that confuse the results of an examination.
These researchers aim to produce special computer programs to remove interference produced by metal implants. This should enable the junction between bone and metal to be seen in all dimensions on CT (computed tomography) scans.
The research is especially relevant to children following spinal and limb corrective surgery, to the elderly following hip replacements and to those with difficult non-uniting fractures. Far greater detail should be available to assess the healing process and improve treatment.
