Dr. Andy Kranenburg Completes 500th SI Joint Fusion Procedure

Dr. Andy Kranenburg of Southern Oregon Orthopedics recently completed his 500th sacroiliac joint fusion procedure using the iFuse Implant System. The only sacroiliac joint fusion device with multiple randomized controlled trials and prospective clinical publications, iFuse is used to treat patients with pain from sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Specialty-trained in this type of minimally invasive treatment, Dr. Kranenburg began performing the iFuse procedure more than a decade ago. He has since treated patients with sacroiliac joint pain throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Patients in need of specialized spinal care are encouraged to schedule an appointment by calling Southern Oregon Orthopedics at 541-779-6250.

The iFuse procedure is a minimally invasive surgery with an at-home recovery. Typically, the procedure takes approximately one hour to complete and is performed through a small incision on the side of the buttock. Dr. Kranenburg then inserts triangular-shaped titanium implants across the joint to provide immediate stability and long-term fusion. According to Dr. Kranenburg, the majority of his patients see significant improvement in pain, function and quality of life within six months.

“My iFuse procedure made all the difference in my life,” said Molly, one of Dr. Kranenburg’s sacroiliac joint fusion patients. “I definitely would not be able to do what I’m doing now. I do caregiving — it’s a 49-hour weekend, and I’m bathing people, I’m dressing them, and I’m cleaning the house. I wouldn’t be able to work in my yard without a lot of pain. I could not take my walks; I definitely couldn’t go hiking — I’m very grateful to have had this surgery.”

Here are some things to know about sacroiliac joint dysfunction:

• A symptomatic sacroiliac joint commonly produces pain that mimics lumbar spine or hip pain and thus is traditionally underdiagnosed.
• Clinical publications in the journals Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research and Spine have identified the sacroiliac joint as a pain generator in 15%-30% of chronic lower back pain patients.
• The sacroiliac joint can be the cause of continued or new-onset lower back pain after a lumbar fusion in up to 43% of patients according to a 2011 issue of Pain Medicine.
• Patients with suspected sacroiliac joint pathology typically try to manage their pain using nonsurgical treatments, including oral medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy or treatments from chiropractors or pain management doctors.
• If nonoperative treatments fail to offer long-term or sufficient relief, that’s when patients may consider surgical intervention with iFuse.

“Although many patients present to physicians with lower back pain, it is important for the diagnosing provider to rule in or out other common sources of pain, such as the lumbar spine or even the hip,” said Dr. Kranenburg. “Thankfully, as awareness of this condition grows, more patients are able to receive a comprehensive diagnosis that considers the sacroiliac joint as a potential source of their pain.

“There are many causes of sacroiliac joint pain and dysfunction, and it affects a wide demographic of patients, spanning those in their 20s to patients older than 70. We do find that this is a pathology which afflicts more females than males,” commented Dr. Kranenburg. Sacroiliac joint dysfunction in female patients may be related to increased stress placed on the joint during pregnancy and childbirth. Other causes of sacroiliac pain include traumatic injury, arthritis, previous lumbar fusion or infection.

Dr. Kranenburg and the other fellowship-trained spine surgeons at Southern Oregon Orthopedics have been specifically trained in caring for sacroiliac joint dysfunction. They are currently accepting new patients for evaluation of the lumbar spine, hips and sacroiliac joints.

For more information or to schedule an appointment with a specialist at Southern Oregon Orthopedics, please call 541-779-6250.