Fascinating article. Speaking as someone who as worked around MRIs, I think the author underestimates the risk of being put in an MRI machine. It would be worth carrying a wallet card or wrist band noting that he has an implant (though emergency MRIs are relatively uncommon).
It's also worth noting that the fascial compartments of the hand can make infections tough to treat, and compartment syndrome can occasionally lead to serious problems requiring finger amputations.
Regardless, it's an interesting experiment that I'm glad someone who wasn't me performed.
Last I checked the MRI risk seemed low due to it's placement, shape, and the minimal strength of the magnet. Do you have any specific concerns?
PS: What if I need an MRI?
Originally it was thought that the magnets would always rip out of the skin and attach themselves to the MRI. However, we now know of a few people who have the magnets have gone through MRIs and this did not happen. One person reported that the magnet just vibrated very strongly. Another person reported that the techs shielded his hand, as they would with someone who had shrapnel or other implants. However, there are several different types of MRIs, so we can make no guarantee of what will happen during your MRI, so you must discuss it with the technician. It is likely that they will give you a hard time about it, so you should be prepared for this and for any possible risks to yourself. It’s also possible that the MRI might demagnetize your magnet.
Obviously I have no first-hand experience with implanted magnets, but MRI magnets are generally getting stronger. What is safe for a 1.5 tesla MRI may not hold for a 3-4 tesla MRI. The rapid magnetic oscillation has been known to heat up wires and cause burns.
There's some people horsing around with 4T MRI that might give you pause.
On the other hand, there are developments in increasing MRI sensitivity that allow them to be effective with weaker magnetic fields. Weaker magnetic fields means less power, less cooling, lower cost, and more widely available.
It's also worth noting that the fascial compartments of the hand can make infections tough to treat, and compartment syndrome can occasionally lead to serious problems requiring finger amputations.
Regardless, it's an interesting experiment that I'm glad someone who wasn't me performed.