Ultrasound-guided Sacroiliac Joint Radiofrequency Ablation: A Pilot Study

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2018-07-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The sacroiliac (SI) joint is a common source of low back pain. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) can be used to treat low back pain from the SI joint , and is often recommended by physicians to provide long lasting pain relief. However, the use of RFA for SI joint pain has not been as successful as RFA for pain in other areas of the back and neck. X-ray guidance (fluoroscopy) is currently used to perform this procedure. Under fluoroscopy, however, it can be difficult for physicians to identify necessary landmarks, and there are risks to the patient because of radiation exposure. In contrast, ultrasound may provide better image guidance than fluoroscopy, and there is no radiation risk. The purpose of this study is to examine if ultrasound guided SI joint RFA is effective.

• Phase: N/A
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Western University, Canada
• Collaborators: University of Alberta; University of Toronto
• Treatments: Lidocaine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years of age or older

• Clinical presentation compatible with SI joint origin pain (back pain below L5; localized to the SI joint area; >2 positive of 5 SI joint provocative tests).

• >50% index pain relief with at least one SIJ intra-articular local anesthetic block and at least one SIJ lateral branch block using the conventional fluoroscopically guided lateral branch block technique. Pain diary records for these interventions need to be on file.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Under 18 years of age

• Presence of clinical and investigative evidence of inflammatory spondyloarthropathy, fibromyalgia, radiculopathy, symptomatic spinal stenosis, facetogenic or discogenic low back pain, generalized infection, localized infection in the area of the low back/SIJs, coagulopathy or anticoagulation, allergy to local anesthetic