Clinical Features Requiring Sacroiliac Joint Arthrodesis in Patients with Sacroiliac Joint Pain.

Purpose: This study aimed to reveal the clinical features requiring sacroiliac joint (SIJ) arthrodesis, which was performed for patients who complain of severe SIJ pain.

Methods: The differences in clinical features between a surgical treatment group (n=20) and a conservative treatment group (n=66) were investigated. All patients were definitively diagnosed with SIJ pain by the use of SIJ injections.

Results: Six significant features were identified in the surgical treatment group, namely, sitting tolerance (<15 minutes), walking with a cane, pain in the supine position, pain while lying on the painful side, numbness in the lower limbs, and any accident that induced SIJ pain (P<0.01). Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that sitting tolerance <15 minutes (odds ratio : 31.73), pain in the supine position (13.07), and pain while lying on the painful side (18.30) showed a high odds ratio.

Conclusions: Sitting tolerance (<15 minutes), walking with a cane, pain in the supine position, pain while lying on the painful side, numbness in the lower limbs, and a history of any accident that induced SIJ pain may be considered as indicators for surgery after >?6 months of continued substantial conservative treatment. J. Med. Invest. 70 : 123-128, February, 2023.