Fluoroscopic-guided sacroiliac, joint injections for treatment of chronic axial low back pain in a tertiary Hospital in Nigeria: a preliminary study.

Background: The injection of mixture of plain bupivacaine and triamcinolone acetonide into the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) to relieve chronic low back pain is uncommon in the West African sub-region. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the efficacy or otherwise of fluoroscopic-guided SI joint injection in the management of chronic axial low back pain in Nigeria.

Design: This was a prospective observational interventional study.

Setting: The study was carried out at a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.

Participants: Twenty-six patients with SI joint pain, based on IASP diagnostic criteria, who presented to our unit over 36 months from March 2012 to March 2015 and.

Interventions: Fluoroscopic-guided injections of 5mls mixture of bupivacaine and triamcinolone acetonide into the sacro-iliac (SI) joints of 26 patients with SI joint pain out of 116 patients who were offered different interventions for chronic low back pain. The patients were followed up for year and pain intensity and functional status were assessed at 3-, 6- and 12 months post-intervention.

Main outcome measures: Pain relief and functional improvement were the main outcome measures.

Results: The mean numeric rating score (NRS) and Oswestry Disability index (ODI) score in 14 (53.9%) patients at 12 months post-interventions were significantly lower compared with baseline values; 3.19 ± 1.10 vs 8.54 ±1.14 p=0.000 and 25.35 ± 5.40 vs 37.54 ±8.41, p=0.000 respectively.

Conclusion: Fluoroscopic-guided steroid injection into the SI joint resulted into reduction in pain intensity and improved physical function in the majority of patients with SI joint pain.

Funding: Not declared.