Can the Sacroiliac Joint Cause Sciatica? An Original Contribution

From *Spine Technology and Rehabilitation, Fort Wayne, IN, and Indiana University School of Medicine, Fort Wayne, IN, and # Indiana University School of Medicine, Fort Wayne, IN. Address Correspondence: Joseph D. Fortin, DO, Spine Technology and Rehabilitation, 7230 Engle Road, Suite 210, Fort Wayne, IN 46804. Email: [email protected] Funding: There was no external funding in preparation of this manuscript. In this brief study we provide evidence that earlier and more recent findings pertaining to the anatomy and physiology of the sacroiliac joint suggest that dysfunction in this joint could, similar to a herniated lumbar disc, produce pain along the sciatic nerve. These observations might explain some of the cases of sciatica in which no disc pathology can be found.