MARS MRI and metal suppression CT are useful for diagnosing metal adverse wear failures (AWF) if metal ion testing shows excessive elevation.

I also use MRI prior to knee replacement surgery to create 3 dimensional virtual models of the operative leg and plan the knee replacement surgery. The company that provides this service creates sterile custom guides according to my protocol that are used in surgery to improve the accuracy of the bone cuts resulting in more reproducible alignment of the implants.

Finally MRI are very useful to evaluate the lumbar spine for arthritis, herniated discs, and stenosis. These conditions may cause referred pain to the hip area confusing both the patient and the orthopedic surgeon. This is particularly useful after hip replacement if there is residual buttock, lateral hip or sciatic type pain.