Virtual precision surgery for MRI implant safety

In silico evaluation of heating during an MRI exam for patients with passive implants patients need detailed anatomical models to reproduce in vivo scenarios. A quantification of the influence of the model approximation is fundamental to define the main requirements of the digital model. Here, we analyze the impact of different model approximation in simulating RF and gradient-induced heating caused by orthopedic implants. It was found that, whereas the heating due to switched gradient fields does not strictly require the adoption of advanced virtual surgery, the heating caused by RF is strongly affected by the precision of the digital model.