In vivo 7.0-tesla magnetic resonance imaging of the wrist and hand: technical aspects and applications.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7.0 T has the potential for higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), improved spectral resolution, and faster imaging compared with 1.5-T and 3.0-T MR systems. This is especially interesting for challenging imaging regions like the wrist and the hand because of the small size of the visualized anatomical structures; the increase in SNR could then be directly converted into higher spatial resolution of the images. Practically, imaging at 7.0 T poses a variety of technical challenges such as static (B (0)) and radiofrequency (B (1)) homogeneities, shimming, chemical shift artifacts, susceptibility artifacts, alterations in tissue contrast, specific absorption rate limitations, coil construction, and pulse sequence tuning. Despite these limitations, this first experience in anatomical imaging of the wrist and the hand at 7.0 T is very promising. Functional imaging techniques will gain importance at ultra-high-field MRI and need to be assessed in detail in the future.