PYOGENIC SACROILIITIS - RESULTS OF THE SU RGICAL-TREATMENT

Surgical treatment of pyogenic infections of the sacroiliac joint is i ndicated in cases of ineffective conservative treatment, abscess forma tion, septicemia, and neurological deficits. Between 1983 and 1990 in nine patients surgical treatment was performed for pyogenic sacroiliit is under this criteria. The surgical procedure included joint debridem ent, primary arthrodesis of the sacroiliac joint using a autologous bo ne graft, antibiotic therapy and postoperative immobilisation. Follow- up examination of 8 patients in average 47 months postoperatively reve aled excellent functional and roentgenological results in 6 patients. Two patients suffered only from mild low-back pain, none of the eight patients demonstrated signs of a recurrent infection, one patient died due to complications of a long-lasting preoperative septicemia. Regar ding these postoperative follow-up results surgical therapy including primary sacroiliac arthrodesis should be early considered, because thi s treatment has a low complication rate and the surgical technique is easy to perform and results are excellent or good in most of the patie nts.