Which of the following implants will likely produce the largest artifact in the MR environment?

In the context of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), different materials respond to magnetic fields in various ways, affecting the level of artifacts produced in the images. Steel is highly magnetic and has a significant susceptibility to magnetic fields. Therefore, when a steel L-spine screw is present in the magnetic field of an MRI machine, it will likely cause substantial distortion in the images due to its ferromagnetic properties.

The artifact is primarily the result of changes in the magnetic field that occur because of the presence of a highly magnetic material. This can not only obscure the area surrounding the implant but can also affect other regions of the image quality. The presence of the steel screw can lead to a stronger signal void, which is often seen as black areas on the imaging output.

In contrast, other materials mentioned, such as cobalt alloy and nickel alloy, generally produce artifacts, but they are less pronounced than those caused by ferromagnetic materials like steel. Titanium, on the other hand, is known for its non-ferromagnetic properties and is often used for implants in MRI settings due to its minimal effect on the magnetic field, resulting in negligible artifacts.

Understanding the magnetic properties of these materials is crucial for MRI safety and image quality, and this knowledge assists in the