Surgery for the Painful, Dysfunctional Sacroiliac Joint: A Clinical Guide

Filling a significant knowledge gap, this book brings the latest information to the evaluation and treatment of patients with a dysfunctional sacroiliac (SI) joint. Beginning with an overview of current anatomical knowledge and the role of pain and surgery, diagnosis and treatment approaches are carefully presented as individual chapters - featuring the origin of each surgical approach, the approach itself, its literary foundation, and overall available results. The final emphasis of the book is on post-operative concerns - including complications, bracing options, rehabilitation and managing patient expectations. Spine surgeons, physical therapists, and other professionals who treat the SI joint will find Surgery for the Painful, Dysfunctional Sacroiliac Joint to be an invaluable resource.

Bruce E. Dall, MD

Orthopedic Spine Surgeon

Borgess Brain and Spine Institute

Western Michigan University School of Medicine

Kalamazoo, MI

USA

Sonia V. Eden, MD

Neurosurgeon

Borgess Brain and Spine Institute

Western Michigan University School of Medicine

Kalamazoo, MI

USA

Michael D. Rahl, PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS

Physical Therapist

Full Potential Physical Therapy

Holland, MI

USA

Dr. Dall has spent the past twenty-five years in private and academic medical settings diagnosing and treating patients with sacroiliac joint pain. He has published several articles in major peer review journals on his work with this subject and has contributed new techniques and ideas for diagnosing and treating the patient with a painful, dysfunctional sacroiliac joint. He has shown how factors such as a previous failed lumbar fusion, chronic illness, obesity and chronic pain can make these patients special challenges for the surgeon. He continues to be very active in this area by recently publishing an algorithm for the diagnoses and treatment of sacroiliac joint dysfunction, publishing extensive long-term follow-up studies on surgical outcomes for this condition, and working with engineers in the cadaver lab to answer questions concerning stress analysis in the pathologic sacroiliac joint, how that changes with surgery and how that is affected by fusion of adjacent joints. These are all firsts concerning the current knowledge base for the sacroiliac joint.