MRI Arthrogram – my experience

I was quite nervous on the day or the appointment (two days ago) as I’d read a lot about MRI arthrograms on the internet. Not thrilled at the prospect of having dye injected into my hip joint, I tried to forget the things I read and focus on the positive, which is getting a diagnosis.

The radiologist talked me through the procedure and asked whether or not I wanted to have local anaesthetic (What?! I thought it was always done with anaesthetic!). He said that local anaesthetic requires a series of injections, each getting deeper, whereas without there would be one injection straight to the joint and it would be over more quickly. He said most people find this tolerable but it’s my choice whether to have it or not.

I’m not usually too bothered about needles, but my stomach churned at the prospect of having one in my hip joint without anaesthetic. However, I trusted the radiologist and decided to go for the quick anaesthetic-free option.

I lay on the bed as the injection fluid was prepared at a table beside me. My heart was thumping. After a few minutes, I was cleaned and then told I would feel a scratch. The needle was pushed in quickly and fully, which made me shout out... more through surprise than pain. It certainly was painful and very uncomfortable, but not excruciating like some people would have you believe. The needle stayed in for a while and was aligned using x-ray. The contrast fluid was injected and the needle removed (I didn’t enjoy the removal much either).

The needle is injected in the front near the groin area, not the side. Here’s a picture of me showing where the injection took place (I’ve covered my man parts so as not to scare readers).

After the injection I was put in a wheelchair and wheeled through the hospital for the MRI scan. As I had the scan (which is completely painless) my hip was good. It felt a little strange and numb but nothing notable. After 30 or so minutes of banging and clunking, the scan was complete and I was allowed to go home.

After the appointment

I walked along the car park and all seemed well, until one movement made my hip hurt a lot, but it was a new sensation and not like the usual catching pain. In the car on the way home I was fine for 95% of time, but would occasionally get bursts of pain and discomfort (I'm glad I didn't drive). By the time we reached our destination about 90 minutes later, movement was pretty uncomfortable and it hurt to walk. Things were fine as long as I didn’t move, so I sat in a chair until some painkillers kicked in.

I wasn’t able to walk normally up stairs that night. I had to use my left (good) leg to lead up each step and a walking stick for balance. I didn’t have any pain during the night and I woke feeling good and agile. It still felt a little strange that day but I could walk around just fine. Today, 2 days on, it’s as though I never had it. All I have to show for it is a tiny red dot.

My experience of the MRI Arthrogram is that it’s nothing to fear. Yes, it hurts and makes you feel uncomfortable, but is it as bad as some people make out? No, not for me anyway. If you’ve had one of these yourself, please post a comment to let others know about your experience.