implant systems that can end the pain they feel every time they sit,
stand, sleep or simply try to get through their day.
The "hidden cause"
Many physicians and patients don't know that 15% to 20% of back pain
is related to sacroiliac disorder, according to Jordi Kellogg, MD, a neu-
rosurgeon with Kellogg Brain & Spine who operates in outpatient sur-
gery centers in Portland, Ore. When one or both sacroiliac joints,
located at the intersection of the lower spine and the pelvis, are
inflamed, patients feel pain in the lower back and buttocks that often
radiates down one or both legs. That's why sacroiliitis is often mistak-
en for sciatica, and often goes untreated for years, says Dr. Kellogg.
The condition also mimics symptoms of herniation and spondylosis
and is often misdiagnosed as one of those conditions.
Properly working sacroiliac joints stabilize and support the body
and absorb much of the impact from walking, lifting and other activi-
ties. Sacroiliac dysfunction, essentially, is when the joints start to
shift. The unwanted articulation is caused by all kinds of trauma,
including multiple or traumatic pregnancies, motor vehicle accidents
and falls, says Omar Gonzalez, a physician's assistant at Kellogg Brain
& Spine. Sacroiliitis can also be a sequela of previous spine fusions,
which increase the load on the sacroiliac joints. The symptoms often
appear years after the fusions took place.
An implant that works
Dr. Kellogg has used an implant system more than 20 times over the
last three years that he thinks offers his patients a better option than
other surgical treatments. The minimally invasive technique includes
making 3-cm incisions along the side of the buttocks. Three titanium
implants are then placed in the sacroiliac joints, using continuous
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