Evaluation of the utility of the portable MRI for the diagnosis of TFCC injury in wheelchair basketball players

Motivation: Wheelchair basketball players have a high risk of TFCC injury, necessitating the development of a portable MRI for wheelchair users. Goal(s): To demonstrate that the portable MRI is clinically feasible for the diagnosis of TFCC injuries in wheelchair basketball players. Approach: We modified an existing portable MRI system for wheelchair use and imaged both wrists of seven players who had been selected for the Japanese women's wheelchair basketball team. We measured the signal-to-noise ratio of the wrist images and performed a clinical evaluation by two radiologists. Results: Our portable MRI provided images of clinically detectable quality for TFCC injury. Impact: The portable MRI system for wheelchair users improved in this study enables wheelchair users to assume the examination posture themselves and diagnose TFCC injuries. This is expected to expand the opportunities for MRI examinations of the wrists of wheelchair users.