Intraarticular Sacroiliac Joint Injection Under Computed Tomography Fluoroscopic Guidance: A Technical Note to Reduce...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Interventional Pain Management
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) injections are a common procedure for diagnosing and treating lower back pain.
• Traditional methods may involve longer procedural times and higher radiation doses.
• Developing efficient and safe injection techniques is crucial for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To devise and evaluate a computed tomography fluoroscopy (CTF)-guided technique for intraarticular (IA) sacroiliac joint (SIJ) injections.
• The primary goals were to minimize procedural time and reduce radiation dose.
• To assess the technical success and safety of this CTF-guided approach.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 36 consecutive IA SIJ injections (20 unilateral, 16 bilateral) in 34 patients guided by CTF.
• Technical success was defined by intraarticular contrast spread.
• Procedural time and effective radiation dose were key outcome measures.

Main Results:

• All CTF-guided IA SIJ injections achieved technical success without serious complications.
• Median procedural times were 5.28 minutes for unilateral and 6.72 minutes for bilateral injections.
• Median effective radiation doses were 0.11 mSv for both unilateral and bilateral procedures.

Conclusions:

• CTF-guided IA SIJ injection is a technically successful and practical procedure.
• The technique demonstrates a high success rate within a limited time frame.
• This method offers a low-risk option for SIJ interventions with minimal radiation exposure.