Sacroiliac Joint Fusion

The sacroiliac joint is part of the lower spine where the spine and pelvis meet and can be a source for chronic lower back or hip pain. The term for this condition is sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction, and experts may recommend SI joint fusion to treat symptoms and restore function. To find out if SI joint dysfunction is affecting you or if you’re a candidate for SI joint fusion, call one of our offices in Medford or Grants Pass, Oregon, to schedule an appointment, or you can request an appointment online right now.

WHAT IS SI JOINT DYSFUNCTION?

Here are some more things to know about SI joint dysfunction:

• A symptomatic sacroiliac joint commonly produces pain that mimics lumbar spine or hip pain, and thus is traditionally underdiagnosed.
• Clinical publications have identified the sacroiliac joint as a pain generator in 15-30%^1-4 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.⁵
• Patients with suspected sacroiliac joint pathology typically try to manage their pain using nonsurgical treatments, including oral medications like NSAIDs, 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 the iFuse Implant System® (iFuse).

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. This pathology does afflict more females than males. 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.

WHAT IS INVOLVED IN THE iFUSE SI JOINT FUSION SURGERY?

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. It involves the surgeon inserting triangular-shaped titanium implants across the SI joint to provide immediate stability and long-term fusion.

Once the procedure is completed and patients return home for recovery, they are instructed to rest and keep activity to a minimum for a specified timeframe.

Benefits of SI joint fusion that the majority of patients have experienced include:

• Significant improvement in pain and quality of life within six months.^6–9 
• Improved physical function and decreased opioid use in the first 6 months.^8,9
• Persistent improvements in pain, physical function, and quality of life after 24 months.⁹

WHO WOULD PERFORM MY iFUSE SI FUSION?

Multiple healthcare providers at Southern Oregon Orthopedics have been specifically trained on the diagnosis and treatment of SI joint dysfunction.

Fellowship-trained spine surgeon Dr. Andy Kranenburg is specially trained in SI joint fusion and has treated patients with sacroiliac joint pain throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Kranenburg has deep experience in his field, having performed over 10,000 surgeries and procedures, including over 500 SI joint fusion surgeries. He has also been a supporting author on several case studies for SI joint fusion and a lead author on the use of SI joint fusion to revise failed procedures.^8–10

To learn more about SI joint fusion or to have a complete evaluation of your lumbar spine, hips, and sacroiliac joints, call Southern Oregon Orthopedics at (541) 779-6250 or request an appointment online today.

Molly, a patient of Dr. Kranenburg, shared her SI joint fusion journey. Click the link below and listen as she describes her experience in returning to her active life with the help of the SI joint fusion treatment.