NEW ct findings from injection to SI joint

B

bellanova

New member
hello everyone

I have been reading the boarRAB for a few months now in hope of finding answers to the problems resulting from my multiple trauma a few years ago.

I had six fractures to my pelvis after a car i was a passenger in was t-boned directly on my side. Apparently from all subsequent reports they had all healed.

I have been at my wits end with pain- and loss of mobility- scared to be active because it brings on more pain.

I had an MRI a year ago and nothing came up. The doctors have said i can work full time in a sedentary capacity-- but my biggest problem is sitting, along with standing, walking, lifting.

ALL the orthopedics surgeons i have visited have said that there is nothing that they can do for me/ no operation to fix it so finally resorted to injection which I was advised by a top orthopedic surgeon against having.

I'm so glad i did because it worked for a few months AND there have been new findings from the CT

Does anyone know if a small piece of bone in my SI joint (size of a small marble)can be treated operatively?

The radiologists full report is listed below;

Limited images of CT at the time of injection demonstrate a small 8mm by 10mm mid anterior mid sacral articular surface abnormality that probably represents a small area of ununited sacral fracture and surrounding there is established sacro-illiac secondary degenerative arthrosis. With limited pictures there is also a suspicion of asymmetry of the left SI joint and chronic ligament laxity

Any advice is welcome :)

Rachel
 
You would need to talk to an orthopedic surgeon or neurosurgeon who does SI joint fusions. There aren't that many in the U.S. who have done more than a couple dozen of these surgeries, so you'll need to do some heavy-duty searching. Try an Internet search on SI joint fusion, and you can even add where you live, and you should be able to find some doctors (hopefully) who specialize in treating SI joint/pelvic problems.

I had an SI joint fusion in January, and I can sympathize with the pain your in!
 
oh Sage-- how can these doctors get it sooo wrong-sometimes it really make me wonder how they warrant their million dollar orthopedic salaries. You must have felt so let down when your first surgery failed... sounRAB like you are 'over the fear bit' guess you have had plenty to be scared about- i don't know how i would cope if someone said they could fix me and it didn't work- better start preparing myself for it in case.

Thank you for the info- I'm going to read your posts to get a better idea of your treatment and i will definitely be looking up the ifuse implant system.

Hope you are getting more mobile by the day!

rachel
 
Hi....sorry to hear about your accident and all of the related problems... The SI joint can cause you the pain you are experiencing...and it is often not diagnosed. To diagnose SI joint problems you usually have a series of injections into the SI joint (seriously, not any worse than any other spinal injection) they then take a CT scan to see if the fluid from the injection leaks out...if it does, that is a disruption of the SI joint...also, if the injection helps/stops the pain for a period of time..that will diagnose the problem. As Brenda said, there are very few qualified SI joint specialists...I had a revision of a SI joint fusion in Deceraber....I think it is going to work...it is a totally new procedure...much easier than the previous surgery I had 18 months ago... Look on the internet....under SI joint problems...see if there are any Drs. in your area.....what state do you live in? My Dr. has people from all over the country/world come to him....he is one of the very very few to do this surgery... Let us know how you are making out...
Sage
 
Hi Sage,
I was just wondering if you are in Australia? I am 29, and disabled with SI pain. All treatments have failed. I am having a ct guided si joint injection this week and given the nature of my pain I expect this will be positive.
I would also like to know how you are going now? Was the iFuse SI Bone treatment successful? Do you know the names of any surgeons who are experienced with this procedure in Australia? And if not, I will be willing to travel to USA/Canada to reable my self so I would also appreciate a list of names of surgeons there.
Thanks and hope your better,
Chris
< edited >
 
Thank you for your replies.
I am in Perth Western Australia.

I just had my second cortisone injection today and have the scans in my hand. I had an orthopedic consult and another MRI- apparently this surgeon believes he can fix it and mentioned some screws? Is that the same as fusion?

From what I have read the fusion seems very invasive- and lots of down time.

How did you both injure your joints?

Rachel
 
Hi Bella,
How are you going? You said that you were in Australia. I have been diagnosed with SI Joint dysfunction and it is likely I will obtain surgery because I am disabled by severe constant pain especially bad when sitting. I want to find someone in Australia who is familiar with the SI Bone iFuse procedure for SI Joint fusion. Have you discovered anyone who performs the surgery in Australia? I have only found surgeons in the USA but not here. Everyone here seems to think it is a major procedure for exceptionally serious blunt force trauma and rarely performed. I don't want to pay all the money to go to the USA if possible.
Thanks,
Chris
< edited >
 
As Brenda said, there are very few qualified SI joint specialists...I had a revision of a SI joint fusion in Deceraber....I think it is going to work...it is a totally new procedure...much easier than the previous surgery I had 18 months ago... Look on the internet....under SI joint problems...see if there are any Drs. in your area.....what state do you live in? My Dr. has people from all over the country/world come to him....he is one of the very very few to do this surgery... Let us know how you are making out...
Sage[/QUOTE]

Hi Sage I'm from Vic Australia.
Can I ask how your second operaton went? successfull with the new technique?
Who is your doctor and where is he located?
Do you vouch for him?

Would appreciate your help,
thanks
 
Rachel...My first SI joint fusion was with the screws/cages/roRAB etc. This did not work for me....as I did not fuse.... The revision SI joint fusion surgery I had in Deceraber was with a new system...first they had to take out all of the old "hardware" (the screws/cages/roRAB etc....enough to half fill a plastic sandwich baggie...yikes!!)... The new system is the SI Bones roRAB (The iFuse Implant System) ....look it up on the internet... Much much easier...seriously...you still have to fuse...which means you are down for up to 3 months...at least...but it will be worth it. This is a brand new system... The surgery is much smaller / pain from surgery is much better. Also...this system will be much stablier for you...I could feel my bones moving with the old system...ya think that is why I didn't heal??? ha...
Whatever you do...check it out...good luck
Sage
 
Back
Top