BACKGROUND Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) disorders are common in patients with chronic lower back pain. Minimally invasive surgical options have been shown to be effective for the treatment of chronic SIJ dysfunction. OBJECTIVE To determine the cost-effectiveness of minimally invasive SIJ fusion. METHODS Data from two prospective, multicenter, clinical trials were used to inform a Markov process c...

APTA is a sponsor of the Decade, an international, multidisciplinary initiative to improve health-related quality of life for people with musculoskeletal disorders. A lthough some people in the medical community accept the premise that the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) can be a source of pain secondary to pathology (eg, spondyloarthropathy, infection, malignancy, fracture),1 whether SIJ dysfunction ex...

OBJECTIVES The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is an important and significant cause of low back pain. We sought to quantify the burden of disease attributable to the SIJ. METHODS The authors compared EuroQol 5D (EQ-5D) and Short Form (SF)-36-based health state utility values derived from the preoperative evaluation of patients with chronic SIJ pain participating in two prospective clinical trials of ...

OBJECTIVE To estimate sacroiliac joint radiographic (X-SIJ) progression in patients with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) and to evaluate the effects of inflammation on MRI (MRI-SIJ) on X-SIJ progression. METHODS X-SIJ and MRI-SIJ at baseline and after 2 and 5 years in patients with recent onset axSpA from the DESIR cohort were scored by three central readers. Progression was defined as (1) th...

Previous research indicates that physical examination cannot diagnose sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pathology. Earlier studies have not reported sensitivities and specificities of composites of provocation tests known to have acceptable inter-examiner reliability. This study examined the diagnostic power of pain provocation SIJ tests singly and in various combinations, in relation to an accepted crite...

STUDY DESIGN  Retrospective case series. OBJECTIVE  To assess fusion rates in patients with sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain following a minimally invasive technique using fibular dowel allograft. METHODS  Thirty-seven consecutive patients (mean age: 42.5 years [range, 23-63 years]) with SIJ pain treated with 38 minimally invasive elective SIJ arthrodeses were retrospectively reviewed using char...

This article focuses on the (functional) anatomy and biomechanics of the pelvic girdle and specifically the sacroiliac joints (SIJs). The SIJs are essential for effective load transfer between the spine and legs. The sacrum, pelvis and spine, and the connections to the arms, legs and head, are functionally interrelated through muscular, fascial and ligamentous interconnections. A historical ove...

The concept of productivity is at the heart of economic theory, management science and operational management of firms and organizations. Despite the theoretical and operational importance of this concept, in recent years, its absolutism has been challenged. Services are often at the heart of this critical debate. Both conceptually and methodologically, services are indeed a major challenge to ...

OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis that fat metaplasia on MRI of the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) increases the propensity for new bone formation in the spine of patients with spondyloarthritis. METHODS We assessed baseline T1-weighted and short τ inversion recovery SIJ MRIs from patients in the Follow Up Research Cohort in Ankylosing Spondylitis (FORCAST). Radiographic progression was assessed us...

INTRODUCTION Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) dysfunction is associated with a marked decrease in quality of life. Increasing evidence supports minimally invasive SIJ fusion as a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of chronic SIJ dysfunction. The impact of SIJ fusion on worker productivity is not known. METHODS Regression modeling using data from the National Health Interview Survey was appl...