Holy Name Press Releases

Holy Name Introduces New Extremity MRI

April 6, 2006

If you've hurt your ankle and the thought of being enclosed in an MRI tube has you feeling queasy, rest easy. Holy Name Hospital has a better solution for you.

The hospital has introduced a new MRI extremity scanner which provides the same high-quality images as whole-body scanners, but doesn't require the patient's entire body to be closed up inside the machine.

The MRI extremity scanner is quieter than a whole-body scanner and is used primarily for uncomplicated sports and orthopedic injuries of the knees, ankles, feet, wrists, and hands. The patient simply sits in an attached chair (which can be tilted to different angles), places the injured arm or leg into the machine, and waits until the test finishes.

"The extremity scanner is patient-friendly and offers greater comfort and mobility than a whole-body scanner," explains Jacqueline Brunetti, M.D., director of diagnostic imaging for Holy Name. "We find it to be a great relief for pediatric patients and adults who are claustrophobic or might have trouble lying down in a tight space for a long period of time because of arthritis or other medical conditions."