Abstract
Slipman CW, Jackson HB, Lipetz JS, Chan KT, Lenrow D, Vresilovic EJ. Sacroiliac joint
pain referral zones. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2000;81:334-8. Objective: To determine the patterns of pain referral from the sacroiliac joint. Study Design: Retrospective. Participants/Methods: Fifty consecutive patients who satisfied clinical criteria and demonstrated a positive
diagnostic response to a fluoroscopically guided sacroiliac joint injection were included.
Each patient's preinjection pain description was used to determine areas of pain referral,
and 18 potential pain-referral zones were established. Outcome Measures: Observed areas of pain referral. Results: Eighteen men (36.0%) and 32 women (64.0%) were included with a mean age of 42.5 years
(range, 20 to 75 yrs) and a mean symptom duration of 18.2 months (range, 1 to 72 mo).
Forty-seven patients (94.0%) described buttock pain, and 36 patients (72.0%) described
lower lumbar pain. Groin pain was described in 7 patients (14.0%). Twenty-five patients
(50.0%) described associated lower-extremity pain. Fourteen patients (28.0%) described
leg pain distal to the knee, and 6 patients (14.0%) reported foot pain. Eighteen patterns
of pain referral were observed. A statistically significant relationship was identified
between pain location and age, with younger patients more likely to describe pain
distal to the knee. Conclusions: Pain referral from the sacroiliac joint does not appear to be limited to the lumbar
region and buttock. The variable patterns of pain referral observed may arise for
several reasons, including the joint's complex innervation, sclerotomal pain referral,
irritation of adjacent structures, and varying locations of injury with the sacroiliac
joint. © 2000 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy
of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
August 10,
1999
Received in revised form:
August 10,
1999
Received:
June 15,
1999
Footnotes
☆No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the result of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.
☆☆Reprint requests to Curtis W. Slipman, MD, Director, The Penn Spine Center, Ground Floor White Building, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Identification
Copyright
© 2000 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
