This study investigated factors affecting truncation artifacts in magnetic resonance images, using phantom experiments and numerical phantom simulations. A custom-made phantom was prepared by filling a plastic container with olive oil and diluted gadolinium contrast agent. The phantom was repeatedly imaged by shifting the field of view (FOV) by 0.1 mm, up to a maximum of 2.0 mm. A numerical phantom was also created to simulate the shape and position of the physical phantom. In the simulation, the numerical phantom was 2D Fourier-transformed to acquire data in the spatial frequency domain. The low-spatial-frequency region was sampled according to the acquisition matrix size setting, and the surrounding area was zero-filled according to the reconstruction matrix size setting to create a k-space. The k-space was then inversely 2D Fourier-transformed to produce an image including truncation artifacts. These artifacts were affected by the position of the FOV and imaging target when the reconstruction matrix size was insufficient. Analysis of the physical and numerical phantoms revealed similar trends in the truncation artifacts: when the reconstruction matrix size was increased, the effect of the position of the FOV and the object was reduced.
