Viscosupplementation: A new concept in the treatment of sacroiliac joint syndrome: A preliminary report of four cases

Background and Objectives. We describe a new therapeutic modality for sacro iliac joint syndrome that represents an alternative to other treatment moda lities. We report on four cases of sacroiliac joint syndrome with severe pa in. Methods: Three patients had undergone operative treatment of the lumbar spine and one patient suffered from severe osteoarthritis of the spine. Al l patients were diagnosed with sacroiliac joint syndrome by means of patien t history, physical examination, and intra-articular local anesthetic injec tion preceded by sacroiliac arthrogram. All patients received three injecti ons of Hylan GF 20 in the sacroiliac joints 2 weeks apart. Results: Twelve to 16 weeks after the injections, the pain was reported to be 40-67% better when measured on the visual analog scale. The duration of the beneficial e ffect of Hylan on arthralgia and joint function was undetermined. Conclusio ns. Viscosupplementation of the sacroiliac joint induced a significant degr ee of analgesia in all lour patients. This treatment modality could represe nt an option in the management of sacroiliac joint pain and dysfunction.