Specialized Testing in Orlando & Maitland

“Specialized Testing found at no other Orlando Area MRI Centers”

MRI Axial Loading System

Standard MRI and CT scans produce diagnostic imaging of the patient while resting in the recumbent or horizontal position. Due to this positioning of the body, the effect of gravity upon the spinal cord is not accounted for in the normal imaging procedure. The Axial Loading System incorporated into MRI scans solves this issue by introducing an axial load that replicates the natural effects of gravity on the body and can even reproduce a situation similar to what occurs to the spine when lifting a weight.

Axial Loading of Lumbar Spine

The purpose of the axial loading system is to help doctors acquire a more accurate diagnosis of a patient’s condition and thus offers more effective treatment options. The axial load simulating gravity gives spine surgeons the most precise picture of the patient’s spine condition. It also provides them with more appropriate treatment and surgery options. This will supply dramatic information for those patients that have ongoing back pain, have had a normal MRI, yet continue with back pain only, and/or leg pain additionally.

Superior Diagnostic Ability

The many benefits in terms of proper diagnosis have been demonstrated through multiple independent studies. It has been demonstrated that treatment decisions for patients with symptomatic spinal stenosis can be significantly different when axial loading during MRI imaging is utilized as opposed to non-axial loaded MRI’s. Subsequent treatment recommendations address the true severity of the problem. The Axial Loading protocol requires only an additional 12 minutes to the normal scan time.