The artifact volume generated in magnetic resonance (MR) images was quantitatively evaluated to investigate how artifact behavior correlates to the magnetic susceptibility and volume of an implanted metal device. For this, a new low-magnetic-susceptibility Zr-14Nb alloy was compared with two conventional dental alloys, Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy and Co-Cr-Mo alloy, using spherical specimens of each alloy prepared with four different diameters. Then, MR images were recorded under fast spin echo and gradient echo conditions, from which the artifact volume was measured. The artifact volume decreased with the magnetic susceptibility, volume, and mass of the specimens, and significant linear correlations were observed. The artifact volume can be estimated by the equations presented here; nevertheless, further studies are necessary to interpret the influence of some important factors (e.g., imaging conditions, shape, and orientation) to predict the artifact volume more precisely.
Keywords: Artifact; Dental alloys; Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Magnetic susceptibility; Zr-Nb alloy.