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Serial therapeutic sacroiliac joint injections: a practice audit
James Hawkins1, Jerome Schofferman
1Arizona Spine Care, Phoenix, Arizona.
Pain Medicine (Malden, Mass.)
|July 15, 2009
Summary
Serial sacroiliac joint (SIJ) corticosteroid injections offer effective long-term pain relief for many patients. While some benefit from 1-3 injections, others require ongoing treatment for sustained pain management.
Area of Science:
- Pain Medicine
- Interventional Pain Management
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
Background:
- Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain is a significant cause of chronic low back pain.
- Corticosteroid injections are commonly used to manage SIJ pain, but long-term efficacy data are limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term effectiveness and patient response to serial fluoroscopically guided corticosteroid injections in the sacroiliac joint.
- To identify factors influencing treatment outcomes and the need for repeat injections.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective audit of patient charts from a tertiary care spine center.
- Inclusion of patients receiving fluoroscopically guided SIJ injections with local anesthetic and long-acting corticosteroid.
- Response assessment based on >50% pain relief during the anesthetic phase and sustained relief for at least two weeks post-injection.
Main Results:
- Of 155 patients with adequate follow-up, 120 (77%) were positive responders.
- Positive responders received an average of 2.7 injections over a mean follow-up of 44 months.
- No adverse events were reported during the study period.
Conclusions:
- Sacroiliac joint corticosteroid injections serve as an effective palliative treatment for selected patients with SIJ pain.
- A majority of responsive patients achieve sustained relief with 1-3 injections, while some necessitate long-term, frequent injections.
