Ignoring the sacroiliac joint in chronic low back pain is costly
1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Background:
Increasing evidence supports minimally invasive sacroiliac joint (SIJ) fusion as a safe and effective treatment for SIJ dysfunction. Failure to include the SIJ in the diagnostic evaluation of low back pain could result in unnecessary health care expenses.
Design:
Decision analytic cost model.
Methods:
A decision analytic model calculating 2-year direct health care costs in patients with chronic low back pain considering lumbar fusion surgery was used.
Results:
The strategy of including the SIJ in the preoperative diagnostic workup of chronic low back pain saves an expected US$3,100 per patient over 2 years. Cost savings were robust to reasonable ranges for costs and probabilities, such as the probability of diagnosis and the probability of successful surgical treatment.
Conclusion:
Including the SIJ as part of the diagnostic strategy in preoperative patients with chronic low back pain is likely to be cost saving in the short term.
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