Clin Pain.  2023 Dec;22(2):66-71. 10.35827/cp.2023.22.2.66.

Clinical Assessment and Diagnosing Sacroiliac Joint Pain

• Yoo MC

• KMID: 2550406
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.35827/cp.2023.22.2.66

Abstract

The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is known to account for 14.5∼30% of chronic low back pain patients with non-radicular symptoms. Diagnosing SIJ-related pain is challenging, as initial symptoms often resemble those of other causes of low back pain. Pain may radiate from below the fifth lumbar vertebra to the thigh, making it essential to differentiate from lumbar facet joint, hip joint, lumbar disc, and surrounding muscle problems. There are no single symptoms or physical exams that definitively diagnose SIJ pain. Clinically, if a patient shows positive findings in three or more different physical exams related to the SIJ and experiences more than 75% symptom improvement following a local anesthetic injection under fluoroscopic guided injection, SIJ pain can be suspected. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the SIJ as a source of pain, covering its anatomy, functions, pathologic injury mechanisms, and diagnostic approaches.

Keyword

Low back pain; Musculoskeletal; Sacroiliac joint; Pathophysiology; Clinical assessment