At Dynamic Medical Imaging, we utilize the latest in MRI technology – the Fonar Stand Up. This unit is an open MRI scanner that allows a patient to sit or stand and watch television during the procedure.
Most MRIs require the patient to lie down in a tight, enclosed cylinder, which sometimes causes issues with those suffering from claustrophobia. Most MRI tests last around a half an hour so the patient is much more comfortable and at ease using an open MRI. An open MRI can be used like a traditional MRI for Back, Brain, Breast, Cervical, Foot & Ankle and all other traditional MRI scans.
Are you claustrophobic or have you failed an MRI due to discomfort or mental stress? An Open and or Upright MRI is the solution.
DMI’s Upright MRI offers a multitude of benefits:
1. Multiple Positions: Unlike conventional Lie-Down MRIs, DMI’s Upright MRI allows patients to sit, stand or lay down during the diagnostic test.
2. Relaxing: For those patients who are claustrophobic, our Upright MRI helps eliminate the feeling of being “closed-in”. Just relax – an open area, in an upright position and watch television.
3. Patient-Friendly Comfort: An MRI should be comfortable for everyone, from young children to those in their golden years. In fact, parents are able to stay in the room with their child for added assurance.
4. One Size May Not Fit All: DMI’s Upright MRI routinely accommodates patients up to 500 pounds, avoiding the cramped feeling of a conventional Lie-Down MRI.
5. Position: Patients can be scanned in their positions of pain or symptoms. Additionally, body organs and tissues can be viewed in their normal position of function – upright.
6. Exceptional Quality: Advanced software capabilities and a full range of whole body applications generate high resolution imaging, to achieve diagnostic precision.
For more information and to read about all the benefits of an Upright MRI read our blog post.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Explained:
MRI, or Magnetic Resonance Imaging, is a common medical imaging technique used for viewing the internal human anatomy in greater detail. Due to its capability to distinguish the various soft tissues, it is frequently used to examine the brain, musculature, or organs. Generating an image using magnets and radio waves, an MRI produces no radiation, making it completely safe. It is a painless, noninvasive procedure with no side or after effects.
WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING ABOUT UPRIGHT MRI:
Haruo Kanno 1, Hiroshi Ozawa, Yutaka Koizumi, Naoki Morozumi, Toshimi Aizawa, Takashi Kusakabe, Yushin Ishii, Eiji Itoi Dynamic change of dural sac cross-sectional area in axial loaded magnetic resonance imaging correlates with the severity of clinical symptoms in patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21301392/
2.
ALL 3 FORMS OF INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH SPONDYLOLYSIS OR ISTHMIC SPONDYLOLISTHEISS ARE BEST ASSESSED WITH POSITIONAL (UPRIGHT) MRI IN THE EVALUATION OF THESE PATIENTS ESPECIALLY IF RADICULAR SYMPTOMS ARE PRESENT. Pascal Niggemann 1, Johannes Kuchta, Hans-Konrad Beyer, D Grosskurth, Thorsten Schulze, Karl-Stefan Delank Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis: prevalence of different forms of instability and clinical implicationshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20838368/
3. POSITIONAL (UPRIGHT) MR IMAGING MORE FREQUENTLY DEMONSTRATES MINOR NEURAL COMPROMISE THAN DOES CONVENTIONAL (LAYING DOWN) MR IMAGING. POSITIONAL PAIN DIFFERENCES AR RELATED TO POSITION-DEPENDENT CHANGES IN FORAMINAL SIZE. D Weishaupt 1, M R Schmid, M Zanetti, N Boos, B Romanowski, R O Kissling, J Dvorak, J Hodler Positional MR imaging of the lumbar spine: does it demonstrate nerve root compromise not visible at conventional MR imaging?
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10751495/
4. LUMBAR STENOSIS RATES AS INDICATED BY MRI INTERPRESTATION RANGED BETWEEN 38.5% IN RECUMBENT (LAYING DOWN) SCANS AND 56.7% IN WEIGHT-BEARING (UPRIGHT) MRI. THESE RATES ARE HIGHER THAN THOSE REPORTED IN THE MEDICAL LITERATURE IN ASYMTOMATIC PATIENS. John W Gilbert 1, J Chad Martin, Greg R Wheeler, Benjamin B Storey, Gregory E Mick, Gay B Richardson, Stephanie L Herder, Kwadwo Gyarteng-Dakwa Lumbar stenosis rates in symptomatic patients using weight-bearing and recumbent magnetic resonance imaging
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21907413/
5. IMAGING IN THE POSTION THAT CAUSES PAIN-MRI OF THE CERVICAL SPINE IN THE POSITION OF THAT CAUSES THE PATIENT’S SYMPTOMS MAY INCREASE THE SENSITIVITY AND ACCURACY OF THE DIAGNOSTIC STUDY AND THUS PROVIDE THE SPINE-CARE PROFESSIONAL WITH A POTENTIALLY MORE ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS AND A TARGETED TREATMENT PLAN. John W Gilbert 1, Greg R Wheeler, Richard A Lingreen, Robert K Johnson, Steven J Scheiner, Richard A Gibbs, Shailesh P Upadhyay, Kwadwo Gyarteng-Dakwa Imaging in the position that causes pain
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17707470/
6. IMAGING THE SPINE IN THE WEIGHT-BEARING (UPRIGHT) POSITION WITH EXTENSION OR PLACING THE SPINE IN THE POSITION OF PAIN MAY INCREASE THE DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY BY THE RADIOLOGIST WHO CAN THEN PROVIDE THE SPINE SURGEON OR NEUROSURGEON WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO FURTHER IMPROVE PATIENT CARE. John W Gilbert 1, Greg R Wheeler, Richard A Lingreen, Robert R Johnson Open stand-up MRI: a new instrument for positional neuroimaging.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16760793/
7. DYNAMIC (FLEXION AND EXTENSION) MRI STUDIES CAN SHOW WITH HIGHT PRECISION THE AMOUNT OF CHANGE OF THE DIAMETER OF THE SPINAL CANAL. Feng, Wei, MD, Soon-Woo Hong, MD, Jun Zou, MD, Ahmet, Alanay, MD, Jean-Jaques, Abitol, MD, FACS, Jeffrey Wang MD. The Effect of Lumbar Flexion and Extension on the Central Canal with Dynamic MRI.
https://www.thespinejournalonline.com/article/S1529-9430(07)00405-6/fulltext
8. POSTIONAL MRI (UPRIGHT) OFFERS THE ADVANTAGES OF ASSESSING CERVICAL SPINE PATHOLOGY IN NEUTRAL, FLEXION AND EXTENSION POSITIONS. POSITONAL MRI ALLOWS EXAMINATION OF THE CERVICAL SPINE IN A MORE PHYSIOLOGIC, WEIGHT-BEARING POSTION AS COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL SUPINE(LAYING DOWN) MRI’S. Payam Moazzaz, MD, Soon Woo Hong, MD, Masashi Miyazaki, MD, Mark Ashkan, BS, Jeffrey Wang MD. Positional MRI: A Valuable Tool in the Assessment of Cervical Disc Bulge.
https://www.thespinejournalonline.com/article/S1529-9430(07)00406-8/abstract
9. WHEN PATIENTS WITH NONCANCER, LOWER BACK PAIN WORSEN, FAIL TO IMPROVE OR REQUIRE OPIATES TO MANAGE THEIR PAIN, UPDATED CLINICAL DDIAGNOSIS INCLUDING REPEAT POSTIONAL IMAGING (UPRIGHT MRI) MAY BE AN EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC STRATEGY. John W Gilbert 1, Greg R Wheeler, Martin P Kreft, Shailesh P Upadhyay, Benjamin B Storey, John R Spitalieri, Gregory E Mick, Richard A Gibbs Repeat upright positional magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosis of disorders underlying chronic noncancer lumbar pain.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18984246/
10. MISSED LUMBAR DISC HERNIATIONS DIAGNOSED WITH KINETIC (FLEXION AND EXTENSION) MRI. A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE DEGREE OF LUMBAR DISC HERNIATINS WERE FOUND BY EXAMINING FLEXION AND EXTENSION VIEWS WHEN COMPARED WITH NEURTAL VIEWS ALONE. Kmri (FLEXION/EXTENSION) VIEWS PROVIDE VALUABLE ADDED INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY IN SITUATIOINS WHERE SYMPTOMATIC RADICULOPATHY IS PRESENT WITHOUT ANY ABNORMALITIES DEMONSTRATED ON CONVENTIONAL MRI (LAYING DOWN). Jun Zou 1, Huilin Yang, Masashi Miyazaki, Feng Wei, Soon W Hong, Seung H Yoon, Yuichiro Morishita, Jeffrey C Wang. Missed lumbar disc herniations diagnosed with kinetic magnetic resonance imaging.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18317181/
11. EFFECT OF SAGITTAL ALIGNMENT ON KINEMATIC CHANGES AND DEGREE OF DISC DEGENERATIONIN THE LUMBAR SPINE: AN ANALYSIS USING POSITIONAL MRI (UPRIGHT). CHANGES IN SAGITTAL ALIGNMENT MAY LEAD TO KINEMATIC CHANGES IN THE LUMBAR SPINE. THIS MAY SUBSEQUENTLY INFLUENCE LOAD BEARING AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF DISC DEGENERATION AT EACH LEVEL. SAGITTAL ALIGNMENT, DISC DEGENERATION AND SEGMENTAL MOBILITY LIKELY HAVE A RECIPRICAL INFLUENCE ON EACH OTHER. Gun Keorochana 1, Cyrus E Taghavi, Kwang-Bok Lee, Jeong Hyun Yoo, Jen-Chung Liao, Zhiqiang Fei, Jeffrey C Wang. Effect of sagittal alignment on kinematic changes and degree of disc degeneration in the lumbar spine: an analysis using positional MRI.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21242877/
12. UPRIGHT -SEATED MRI WAS FOUND TO BE SUPERIOR TO RECUMBENT(LYING DOWN) MRI OF THE SPINE WITH RUCUMBENT MRI MISSING OR UNDERESTIMATING PATHOLOGY IN CASES OF POSTERIOR DISC HERNIATIONS AND ANTERIOR SPONDYLOLITHEISIS. THIS SEEMS TO VALIDATE THE IMPORTANCE OF WEIGHT-BEARING IMAGING OF THE SPINE THAT MIGHT BE EXPECTED TO UNMASK POSTIONAL ENLARGING DISC HERNIATIONS AND WORSENING SPONDYLOLISTHESIS. Ferreiro Perez A, Garcia Isidro M, Ayerbe E, Castedo J, Jinkins JR. Eur J Radiol. 2007 Jun;62(3):444-8. EVALUATION OF INTERVERTEBRAL DISC HERNIATION AND HYPERMOBILE INTERSEGMENTAL INSTABILITY IN SYMPTOMATIC ADULT PATIENTS UNDERGOING RECUMBENT AND UPRIGHT MRI OF THE CERVICAL OR LUMBOSACRAL SPINES.
HTTPS://SERAM.ES/INDEX.PHP/FUNDACION/NOTICIAS/47-ARTICULOS-INTERNACIONALES/442-EVALUATION-OF-INTERVERTEBRAL-DISC-HERNIATION-AND-HYPERMOBILE-INTERSEGMENTAL-INSTABILITY-IN-SYMPTOMATIC-ADULT-PATIENTS-UNDERGOING-RECUMBENT-AND-UPRIGHT-MRI-OF-THE-CERVICAL-OR-LUMBOSACRAL-SPINES
13. THE BENEFICIAL ASPECTS OF UPRIGHT WEIGHT BEARING AND DYNAMIC-KINETIC SPINAL IMAGING OVER RECUMBENT MRI INCLUDE: THE REVELATION OF OCCULT DISEASE DEPENDENT ON AXIAL LOADING, THE UNMASKING OF KINETIC-DEPENDENT(FLEXION AND EXTENSION) DISEASE, AND THE ABILITY TO SCAN THE PATIENT IN THE POSITION OF CLINICALLY RELEVANT SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS. J Randy Jinkins 1, Jay Dworkin. Proceedings of the State-of-the-Art Symposium on Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology of the Spine, Antwerp, September 7, 2002 (Part two). Upright, weight-bearing, dynamic-kinetic MRI of the spine: pMRI/kMRI.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14651085/
PREPARING FOR AN MRI
- Abdominal and/or Pelvic MRI: Do not eat or drink 4 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. Please take a small amount of water with essential medication. There are no food or drink restrictions for other MRIs.
- Personal items should be left at home, such as jewelry and watches.
- Wear comfortable clothing, with no metal zippers or clasps. You may have to change into a gown. For optimal image quality when performing head scans, eye make-up and cosmetics should not be worn, as they may contain metallic powders, and thus degrade the image quality.
- Please arrive 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment and bring your prescription, insurance card, photo ID and any relevant reports or studies that were not done by Dynamic Medical Imaging.
- Metallic objects must be left outside the scanning room – such as keys, credit cards, removable hearing aids, eyeglasses, dentures and other prosthetic devices.
There are certain details, which could interfere with the procedure. It is especially important to call our office at 908-687-2552 or notify the technician, prior to the MRI if any of the following points apply to you or anyone present with you during the scan:
- Have a cardiac pacemaker or heart valve
- Are pregnant or think you may be pregnant
- Have a medical constraint concern
- If you are/were a machinist, welder, auto mechanic or work with metal in any capacity
- If you even suspect you have anything metallic within your body such as surgical clips, joint or bone pins, metal plates, un-removed bullets, shrapnel, BB shots, cochlear implants, neuro-stimulators or permanent tattoos.
