Monday, February 16, 2026 2/16/2026

Improved Diagnostic MRI around Metallic Implants

Award Number: R01AR078912
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS & MUSCULOSKELETAL & SKIN DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/01/2022
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2027

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Improved Diagnostic MRI around Metallic Implants - PROJECT SUMMARY This project will develop new technology for high-resolution soft-tissue MRI immediately adjacent to orthopaedic metallic implants, an area that is “invisible” to current imaging techniques. We will leverage a novel high- performance 0.55 Tesla MRI platform and will develop new software and tools that are optimized for this platform and application. Finally, we evaluate the new metal MRI technology in two patient cohorts where it can immediately impact patient management: hip replacement and spinal fixation. Rationale: Orthopaedic metal implants are used extensively to treat late-stage osteoarthritis (total joint replacements), degenerative disc disease (spinal fixations), and fracture stabilization following trauma or bone resection. These implants fail in 10%-40% of cases, and accurate non-invasive imaging with soft-tissue contrast is essential for the evaluation of the underlying cause of hardware failure, and in surgical decision making and planning. At present, there is a major unmet need for high quality soft tissue imaging immediately adjacent to the metal surface to assess, for example, adverse local tissue response or nerve root impingement. State-of-the-art multi-spectral imaging (MSI) led to major improvements ~10 years ago, and the technology has plateaued. Innovation: We leverage a novel 0.55T MRI system that will soon be commercially available, which alone promises reduced image artifacts, because it provides much stronger imaging gradients relative to the susceptibility-induced gradients and field shifts, higher-bandwidth RF pulses, uniform RF transmission, and new opportunities for improved encoding and reconstruction. We also propose reimagined MSI pulse sequences to offer further improvements in signal-to- noise ratio, encoding time, and artifact. Approach: Our specific aims are: 1) to adapt standard metal MSI approaches for the 0.55T MRI platform to primarily assess the improvement of the 0.55T system alone due to reduced off-resonance; 2) to redesign improved metal MSI approaches that leverage the gradient-to-B0 and RF performance of the 0.55T MRI platform to compensate for lost SNR efficiency, while improving spatial resolution and artifact suppression and offering fat/water separation; and 3) to compare 0.55T MRI and 3T MRI protocols in patients with hip and spine implants, both to assess the improvement from the system alone and from redesigned MSI sequences. Broader Impact: This project aims to demonstrate improved capability to image closer to implant surfaces than what is possible at conventional 1.5T and 3T field strengths, and the impact in the context of post-surgical evaluation of hip-replacements and spinal fixations. This will broadly benefit the use of MRI in patients with metal, including orthopedic and non-orthopedic implants.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $523,298 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90033	LOS ANGELES	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	4	1/27/2026	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$523,298
														Subtotal = $523,298

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2024	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90033	LOS ANGELES	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	3	1/8/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $593,047 )
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90089	LOS ANGELES	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	3	1/25/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$550,249
2024	2024	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90089	LOS ANGELES	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	001	3	6/6/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$42,798
														Subtotal = $593,047

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $596,750 )
2023	2023	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST	LOS ANGELES	CA	90089	LOS ANGELES	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	2	2/28/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$596,750
														Subtotal = $596,750

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $662,429 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA	3720 S FLOWER ST FL 3	LOS ANGELES	CA	90007	LOS ANGELES	USA	Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Research	000	1	1/31/2022	NEW	$662,429
														Subtotal = $662,429

Grand Total All Awards = $2,375,524

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Improved Diagnostic MRI around Metallic Implants

Award Number: R01AR078912

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ARTHRITIS & MUSCULOSKELETAL & SKIN DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 02/01/2022

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2027

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer