Sacroiliac joint dysfunction: a long-term follow-up study

Treatment of the sacroiliac joint in patients with leg pain: a randomized-controlled trial

PURPOSE

The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) may be a cause of sciatica. The aim of this study was to assess which treatment is successful for SIJ-related back and leg pain.

METHODS

Using a single-blinded randomised trial, we assessed the short-term therapeutic efficacy of physiotherapy, manual therapy, and intra-articular injection with local corticosteroids in the SIJ in 51 patients with SIJ-related leg pain. The effect of the treatment was evaluated after 6 and 12 weeks.

RESULTS

Of the 51 patients, 25 (56 %) were successfully treated. Physiotherapy was successful in 3 out of 15 patients (20 %), manual therapy in 13 of the 18 (72 %), and intra-articular injection in 9 of 18 (50 %) patients (p = 0.01). Manual therapy had a significantly better success rate than physiotherapy (p = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

In this small single-blinded prospective study, manual therapy appeared to be the choice of treatment for patients with SIJ-related leg pain. A second choice of treatment to be considered is an intra-articular injection.

Serial therapeutic sacroiliac joint injections: a practice audit

OBJECTIVE

To determine the long-term response to serial sacroiliac joint (SIJ) corticosteroid injections. Design. Retrospective practice audit.

SETTING AND PATIENTS

Tertiary care spine center. Review of charts of all patients in a single practice who underwent diagnostic and therapeutic fluoroscopically guided SIJ injections with combined local anesthetic, long-acting corticosteroid, and contrast.

MEASURES

Response was evaluated at 1 hour and again at follow-up clinic visits. Response to injection was graded as positive if there was > or =50% relief of the targeted pain during the local anesthetic phase and at least 2 weeks of > or =50% relief afterward. If pain recurred, patients had to have been sufficiently satisfied with the relief to request repeat injection.

RESULTS

There were 164 patients; 5 had incomplete records, 4 had <2 year follow-up. Of the 155 patients, 120 (77%) were positive responders; 45 were men and 75 were women; and the mean age was 48 (27-91) years. Sixty-nine had prior lumbar surgery. Mean duration of follow-up was 44 months (26-101). Two were lost to follow-up. The 118 positive responders received a mean of 2.7 injections per patient. Forty patients required 1 injection only, 29 required two, 22 required three, and 27 required four or more. The mean duration of response for those receiving >1 injection was 9.3 months per injection (1-58). There were no adverse events.

CONCLUSIONS

SIJ corticosteroid injections appear to be an effective palliative treatment for selected patients with SIJ pain. Most patients whose pain is responsive to SIJ steroid injections improved sufficiently and remained well after 1 to 3 injections, but some required frequent injections on a long-term basis.

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction: evaluation and treatment

Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction is once again garnering attention as a treatable diagnosis for the millions of individuals suffering from acute and chronic low back pain. Theoretically, excessive or restricted motion at the SIJ can alter the mechanics of the spine and pelvis causing pain. Oft en the clinician's history and physical examination are nonspecific in the evaluation of low back pain and a high index of suspicion is required to consider SIJ dysfunction as the cause for the patient's symptoms. Multiple physical examination maneuvers exist to detect SIJ dysfunction, but none are individually sensitive or specific enough to diagnose SIJ dysfunction alone. The clinician should learn 3 to 5 tests that can easily be performed and replicated for the evaluation of SIJ dysfunction and use them consistently in patients presenting with low back pain. Sacroiliac joint anesthetic blocks using computed tomography (CT) or fluoroscopic-guided injection are considered the gold standards for diagnosing SIJ dysfunction as the cause for nonspecific low back pain. Imaging studies and laboratory evaluations are generally unnecessary for the diagnosis of SIJ dysfunction unless specific elements of the history and physical suggest alternate etiologies. Interventions to treat the pain of SIJ dysfunction include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), physical therapy, corti costeroid injections, osteopathic manipulation, radiofrequency denervation, SIJ belts, and surgery. While there are few high-level evidence studies evaluating and comparing these treatments in individuals with SIJ pain, patients may respond to one, or a combination of these treatments.

KEYWORDS

sarcoiliac joint; sarcoiliac joint dysfunction; spine; low back pain.

Relief of internal snapping hip syndrome in a marathon runner after chiropractic treatment

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the assessment, diagnosis and chiropractic management of a patient with sacroiliac joint dysfunction (SIJ) complicated by psoas major snapping hip syndrome (coxa saltans interna).

CLINICAL FEATURES

A 32-year-old male marathon runner experienced low-back and left hip pain without radiation accompanied by a "popping" in the anterior hip. He ran approximately 100 to 150 km/wk for the prior 3 years. He had stopped running for the previous 3 weeks because of worsening and consistent pain.

INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME

Treatment consisted of side posture SIJ "diversified" manipulation and myofascial release to the psoas muscle twice weekly for 2 weeks. The patient was also taught proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation exercises of the psoas and iliotibial band muscles. He was instructed to substitute swimming instead of running on a daily basis. Reassessment at 3 weeks found the patient without pain in his hip or back and no clicking or popping in his left hip.

CONCLUSION

Clinicians should consider that runners who present with coexisting SIJ dysfunction and internal snapping hip syndrome may benefit from the combined management of both conditions.

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction: evaluation and management

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is believed to be a significant source of low back and posterior pelvic pain.

METHODS

To assess the clinical presentation, diagnostic testing, and treatment options for sacroiliac joint dysfunction, a systematic literature review was performed using MEDLINE.

RESULTS

Presently, there are no widely accepted guidelines in the literature for the diagnosis and treatment of sacroiliac instability. Establishing management guidelines for this disorder has been complicated by the large spectrum of different etiologic factors, the variability of patient history and clinical symptoms, limited availability of objective testing, and incomplete understanding of the biomechanics of the sacroiliac joint.

CONCLUSIONS

A reliable examination technique to identify the sacroiliac joint as a source of low back pain seems to be pain relief following a radiologically guided injection of a local anaesthetic into the sacroiliac joint. Most patients respond to non-operative treatment. Patients who do not respond to non-operative treatment should be considered for operative sacroiliac joint stabilization.