How painful is a hip MRI with contrast?

How painful is a hip MRI with contrast?I partially dislocated my hip about 6 weeks ago and ever since then I have had lots of pain. I had a MRI of my pelvis about two weeks ago that showed swelling in the hip joint but I guess they want a better look. I am just worried that sticking a needle in the hip joint will hurt alot. Any help would be appreicated.

super_goofychick
they dont stick the needle in the hip joint. contrast is injected via IV into a vein usually. it's no more painful than any other iv/needle stick.

Hopefully Helpful
The contrast is injected into the arm. It's kind of like having a blood test. First you go into the MRI for the beginning part of the test. They will bring you out to inject the dye. Next, you will go back into the MRI so they can see the contrast of the dye.
Good Luck

Chris F
yep, i concur with the other answers. the contrast for MRI or CT scans is injected into an IV line placed in your arm...just like giving blood. the stick will of course hurt but only for a second...usually.
and yes, an MRI is def needed. plain film x-rays don't show the ligament or muscle damage from hip dislocations. it normally takes a ton of force to dislocate a hip joint so ligament, tendon, muscle and even fractures are likely.
good luck.

Lissacal
We do inject contrast directly into joint spaces....most commonly the hip, knee or shoulder. This part of the exam is done in an x-ray room under fluoroscopic guidance. This means we use x-rays in real time to watch the needle entering the joint space. The radiologist cleans the skin with Betadine, injects a type of Novocaine (usually Lidocaine) which will numb the hip area, then injects contrast into the joint space. After the contrast is in the joint, we take the patient to the MRI suite for the actual MRI scan.

Most patients do pretty well with this type of study. Once the area is numb, you don't feel much more than pressure. The numbing injection is like the kind you get at a dentist office. The joint space might feel tight and full, because of the added fluid (contrast). But, because the joint is numb, you will get a temporary relief of pain!

"An arthrogram is a test using X-ray and a contrast material (such as a dye, water, air, or a combination of these) to take pictures of a joint. The contrast material is put into your affected joint, which allows your doctor to see the soft tissue structures of your joint, such as tendons, ligaments, muscles, cartilage, and your joint capsule. These structures are not seen on a plain X-ray without contrast material. A special type of X-ray, called fluoroscopy, may be used to take pictures of the joint......Other tests, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT), give different information about a joint. They may be used with an arthrogram or when an arthrogram does not give a clear picture of the joint."

http://arthritis.webmd.com/Arthrogram-Joint-X-ray

"Although MRI without contrast is quite useful in many cases, certain joints and certain problems require injecting contrast into the joint, as in your case."

http://www.uwmedicine.org/PatientCare/MedicalSpecialties/SpecialtyCare/UWMEDICALCENTER/Radiology/mriarthrogram.htm

You can read more about this procedure at the above sites. Since you have already had a MRI, I am assuming that part is not worrying you. You are more apprehensive about the arthrogram part.

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