MRI joint imaging system

An MRI joint imaging system for obtaining magnetic resonance image of a joint portion of one of the knees of a patient by bending the joint portion, which comprises:

• moving means having a fixing base for fixing and bending the joint portion of the one knee;
• means for supporting the other of the knees not being imaged so as to not interfere with the one knee joint portion being bent;
• non-magnetic driving means for supplying a driving force to said moving means;
• imaging means for imaging the joint portion of the one knee;
• and
• control means for controlling said driving means and said imaging means so that the bending motion of the joint portion of the one knee by said driving means, and the image of the joint portion of the one knee by said imaging means, can be timed with each other.

A joint fixing apparatus for a magnetic resonance image system that images one of two knee joint portions of a patient, which comprises:

• a fixing base for supporting the patient by his/her back;
• moving means attached to the fixing base for bending the one knee joint portion to be imaged, said moving means having a movable member which supports the back of the one knee joint portion and which is pivotable about an axis of rotation of the one knee joint portion;
• and
• non-magnetic driving means for supplying a driving force to said moving means.

An MRI joint imaging system for obtaining a magnetic resonance image of a joint portion of one of the knees of a patient by bending the joint portion, which comprises:

• a fixing base for supporting the patient by his/her back;
• moving means attached to the fixing base for bending the one knee joint portion to be imaged, said moving means having a movable member which supports the back of the one knee joint portion and which is pivotable about an axis of rotation of the one knee joint portion;
• non-magnetic driving means for supplying a driving force to said moving means;
• imaging means for imaging the one knee joint portion;
• and
• control means for controlling said driving means and said imaging means so that the bending motion of the one knee joint portion by said driving means, and the image of the one knee joint portion by said imaging means, can be timed with each other.