Effect of Fluoroscopic-Guided Corticosteroid Injection in Patients With Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction

Background Sacroiliac joint dysfunction is a major cause of axial low back pain which can masquerade as pain from lumbar disc diseases. Treatment of axial back pain arising due to sacroiliac joint dysfunction remains a challenge. This study was conducted to evaluate the long and short-term effects of intra-articular corticosteroid injection in the relief of pain and disability caused by sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Methodology A total of 83 patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction were included in this prospective randomized control study. Patients were randomized into two groups by a computer-generated randomization table. These two groups were treated with fluoroscopy-guided corticosteroid and local anesthetic injection (group A) and distilled water and local anesthetic injection (group B). Pre and post-intervention assessment of all patients was done based on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) for pain and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for disability. The outcome measures of the study were the NPRS and ODI assessed at the initial visit one (pre-injection), two weeks post-injection (visit 2), and four weeks post-injection (visit 3). Results Demographic data were comparable in both groups. There was no significant difference in pre-injection NPRS and ODI values in both groups. The changes in NPRS and ODI values were significant from pre-injection to two weeks to four weeks. Group A patients performed better in terms of a decrease in the perception of pain and a decrease in the perception of disability compared to group B patients in the second and fourth weeks of follow-up. Conclusions Fluoroscopy-guided corticosteroid injection is an effective measure for reducing pain and disability in patients with sacroiliac joint dysfunction.