SACROILIAC JOINT - PAIN REFERRAL MAPS UPON APPLYING A NEW INJECTION ARTHROGRAPHY TECHNIQUE .2. CLINICAL-EVALUATION

Study Design. A pain referral map generated from Part I of this study was tested in 54 consecutive patients. Pain diagrams, completed by eac h patient, were compared to the map generated from sacroiliac injectio ns in 10 volunteers (Part I). Two clinicians, blinded to the examinati on of each individual, selected the diagrams most consistent with the pain map. Objectives. To determine the applicability of a pain referra l map as a screening tool for sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Summary of Background Data. Two independent examiners, blinded to the patients' examinations, selected 16 individuals whose pain diagrams most represe nted the map generated in Part I. There was a 100% concordance of pati ents selected. All 16 patients selected had a provocation-positive SI joint injection. Ten of these individuals also received lumbar discogr aphy and lumbar facet injections. Only the SI injection on the symptom atic side was provocation positive. Methods. Patients selected for eva luation based on pain mapping received sacroiliac joint injection. Pro vocation-positive injections were used to confirm the diagnosis of sac roiliac joint dysfunction. Ten subjects subsequently underwent lumbar discography and lumbar facet joint injections to further confirm the d iagnosis. Results. Few studies involving low back pain have used pain referral maps. In the present study patients were successfully screene d for sacroiliac joint dysfunction using a pain referral map generated from provocation of asymptomatic volunteers. Conclusion. Patients can be successfully screened for sacroiliac joint dysfunction based on co mparison with a pain referral map. Further study on the false negative rates of sacroiliac pain maps is needed.