How To Prepare

Before your MRI test, tell your doctor and the MRI technologist if you:

• Are allergic to any medicines. The contrast material used for MRI does not contain iodine. If you know that you are allergic to the contrast material used for the MRI, tell your doctor before having another test.
• Are or might be pregnant.
• Have metal screws in your shoulder from a past shoulder surgery.
• Have any metal implanted in your body. This helps your doctor know if the test is safe for you. Tell your doctor if you have:
  • Heart and blood vessel devices such as a coronary artery stent, pacemaker, ICD (implantable cardioverter-defibrillator), or metal heart valve.
  • Metal pins, clips, or metal parts in your body, including artificial limbs and dental work or braces.
  • Any other implanted medical device, such as a medicine infusion pump or a cochlear implant.
  • Cosmetic metal implants, such as in your ears, or tattooed eyeliner.
• Had recent surgery on a blood vessel. In some cases you may not be able to have the MRI test.
• Have an intrauterine device (IUD) in place. An IUD may prevent you from having the MRI test done.
• Become very nervous in confined spaces. You need to lie very still inside the MRI magnet, so you may need medicine to help you relax. Or you may be able to have the test done with open MRI equipment. It is not as confining as standard MRI machines.
• Have any other health conditions, such as kidney problems or sickle cell anemia, that may prevent you from having an MRI using contrast material.
• Wear any medicine patches. The MRI may cause a burn at the patch site.

You may need to sign a consent form that says you understand the risks of a shoulder MRI and agree to have the test done. Talk to your doctor about any concerns you have regarding the need for the test, its risks, how it will be done, or what the results will mean. To help you understand the importance of this test, fill out the medical test information form(What is a PDF document?).

You may need to arrange for someone to drive you home after the test, if you are given a medicine (sedative) to help you relax.

How It Is Done

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test is usually done by an MRI technologist. The resulting pictures are usually interpreted by a radiologist. But some other types of doctors, such as an orthopedic surgeon, can also interpret a shoulder MRI scan.

You will need to remove all metal objects (such as hearing aids, dentures, jewelry, watches, and hairpins) from your body because these objects may be attracted to the powerful magnet used for the test.