slejhamer
28th of May 2004 (Fri), 07:57
magnetic resonance imaging
n. Abbr. MRI
The use of a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer to produce electronic images of specific atoms and molecular structures in solids, especially human cells, tissues, and organs.
- The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
After 6 months of limping around and grinning through the pain, I finally got around to having an MRI done on my knee this week.
The process was interesting: I laid face up in a gigantic off-white electronic coffin while wearing a pair of headphones tuned to a classic rock FM radio station.
My knee was propped up and I was told not to move.
"What if I twitch?"
"Don't."
"What about my arms?"
"Don't move them."
"Suppose I get a cramp?"
"Which part of 'don't move' did you not understand?"
The machine buzzed, clicked and hummed - sounding somewhat like a swarm of cicadas turned up to volume 11. Thank goodness for Led Zeppelin pounding in my ears.
20 minutes later it was done.
Next morning I got to see the results. The images are very interesting; each one is a successive slice of the knee, as if a series of cutaways had been performed. Much more detailed than x-rays, as they include the soft tissues, tendons and ligaments that don't show up in x-rays. Amazing technology.
I wonder if they post-processed in Photoshop?
Bottom line: torn ACL, some cartilage damage; surgery to follow.
:shock:
n. Abbr. MRI
The use of a nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer to produce electronic images of specific atoms and molecular structures in solids, especially human cells, tissues, and organs.
- The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
After 6 months of limping around and grinning through the pain, I finally got around to having an MRI done on my knee this week.
The process was interesting: I laid face up in a gigantic off-white electronic coffin while wearing a pair of headphones tuned to a classic rock FM radio station.
My knee was propped up and I was told not to move.
"What if I twitch?"
"Don't."
"What about my arms?"
"Don't move them."
"Suppose I get a cramp?"
"Which part of 'don't move' did you not understand?"
The machine buzzed, clicked and hummed - sounding somewhat like a swarm of cicadas turned up to volume 11. Thank goodness for Led Zeppelin pounding in my ears.
20 minutes later it was done.
Next morning I got to see the results. The images are very interesting; each one is a successive slice of the knee, as if a series of cutaways had been performed. Much more detailed than x-rays, as they include the soft tissues, tendons and ligaments that don't show up in x-rays. Amazing technology.
I wonder if they post-processed in Photoshop?
Bottom line: torn ACL, some cartilage damage; surgery to follow.
:shock: