Objective:To investigate an experimental method of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to evaluate rat muscle tissue necrosis model. Methods:Firstly,0.2 ml anhydrous ethanol was injected into the left hind limbs of 6 rats to make a skeletal muscle necrosis model. MRI scans were performed after 0,2,4,8,12,14 h and 16 h respectively to analyze imagines and to find optimal scanning sequence and scanning time. Results:MRI scanning resulted from T2WI fs and 12 h showed clear pathological changing area and excluded the signal interference from peripheral fat,which proved T2WI fs is the optimized scanning sequence and 12 h is the optimized scanning time. Another 20 model rats were used for MRI scans with the optimal scanning sequence and time,then executed after MRI scans for pathological examination. There was no apparent size difference between Evans blue dye pathology images and MRI images of rat skeletal muscle necrosis area. The skeletal muscle necrosis area was (7.95 ± 0.18)% of the viewing area of the left hind in MRI images,and was (7.91 ± 0.15)% in the Evans blue dye pathology images. Conclusion:MRI scans can be used for evaluating skeletal muscle necrosis.