RF-Induced Heating in Orthopedic Implants: In Silico Assessment of Surgical and Healed Models Under 1.5 T and 3 T MRI

This study investigates RF-induced heating in tibial nail implants using computational models (Duke, Ella, Fats) at 1.5T and 3T MRI. Post-surgery with bone adhesives and healed models were analyzed to assess the impact of implant depth, bone adhesive properties, and nail length on RF-induced heating. Results show higher heating may occur in surgical models, especially with synovial adhesives due to their conductivity. Heating decreased with implant depth, reflecting tissue conductivity variations from surface to core. Nail length influenced worst-case heating, varying across models and MRI field strengths. These findings highlight the importance of in silico simulations to label the implants, ensuring patient safety under MRI.