A review of factors that affect artifact from metallic hardware on multi-row detector computed tomography.

Artifact arising from metallic hardware can present a major obstacle to computed tomographic imaging of bone and soft tissue and can preclude its use for answering a variety of important clinical questions. The advent of multirow detector computed tomography offers new opportunities to address the challenge of imaging in the presence of metallic hardware. This pictorial essay highlights current strategies for reducing metallic hardware artifacts and presents some illustrative clinical cases.