Gibbs (Truncation) Artifact on MRI: What It Looks Like and Why It Happens

Gibbs artifact appears as fine parallel lines adjacent to high-contrast boundaries on MRI, caused by insufficient sampling of high spatial frequencies during Fourier reconstruction. It is most conspicuous on T1-weighted images near fat–water or tissue–CSF interfaces and can mimi…

• Educational Q&A format from MRI Questions (Elster), a widely used self-study resource for radiology trainees and physicists.
• Covers the underlying Fourier-transform physics, common anatomic locations (e.g., spinal cord, menisci), and strategies to reduce the artifact (increasing matrix size, reducing field of view).
• Foundational MRI physics topic frequently tested on board examinations; no original research data presented.

RadPigeon summaries are original and for information only. They are not clinical advice.