BACKGROUND Cases of obturator nerve impingement(ONI)caused by osteophytes resulting from bone hyperplasia on the sacroiliac articular surface have never been reported.This paper presents such a case in a patient in wh...BACKGROUND Cases of obturator nerve impingement(ONI)caused by osteophytes resulting from bone hyperplasia on the sacroiliac articular surface have never been reported.This paper presents such a case in a patient in whom severe lower limb pain was caused by osteophyte compression of the sacroiliac joint on the obturator nerve.CASE SUMMARY A 65-year-old Asian man presented with severe pain and numbness in his left lower limb,which became aggravated during walking and showed intermittent claudication.The physical examination revealed that the muscle strength of the left lower limb had decreased and that the passive knee flexion test result was positive.Computed tomography(CT)and 3D reconstruction showed a large osteophyte located in the anterior lower part of the left sacroiliac joint.The results of electrophysiological examination showed peripheral neuropathy.A CT-guided obturator nerve block significantly reduced the severity of pain in this patient.According to the above findings,ONI caused by the osteophyte in the sacroiliac joint was diagnosed.This patient underwent an operation to remove the bone spur and symptomatic treatment.After therapy,the patient's pain and numbness were significantly relieved.The last follow-up was performed 6 mo after the operation,and the patient recovered well without other complications,returned to work,and resumed his normal lifestyle.CONCLUSION Osteophytes of the sacroiliac joint can cause ONI,which leads to symptoms including severe radiative pain in the lower limb in patients.The diagnosis and differentiation of this disease should attract the attention of clinicians.Surgical excision of osteophytes should be considered when conservative treatment is not effective.展开更多
Objective:To explore the clinical value of dual energy CT(DECT)virtual noncalcium(VNCa)in the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint bone marrow edema(BME).Methods:A collection of 45 patients(21 males,24 females,and an average...Objective:To explore the clinical value of dual energy CT(DECT)virtual noncalcium(VNCa)in the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint bone marrow edema(BME).Methods:A collection of 45 patients(21 males,24 females,and an average age of 34 years)who underwent MRI and DECT(Siemens Somatom definition force)examinations for the sacroiliac joints in our hospital from January 2019 to August 2020.After the DECT scan,the bone marrow pseudo-color map was obtained after VNCa processing.The bone marrow pseudo-color map was evaluated by two physicians.Take MRI test results as the gold standard,the application value of DECT VNCa technology in the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint BME was analyzed.Results:The positive predictive value(PPV),negative predictive value(NPV),sensitivity(Sen),specificity(Spe)and accuracy(Acc)of the qualitative diagnosis of iliac bone and sacral BME with DECT VNCa technology was:80.6%,85.2%,78.4%,86.8%,83.3%and 100%,64.9%,32.5%,100%,70.0%,respectively.The area of edema displayed by quantitative measurement of DECT VNCa image is smaller than the area measured by MRI image.The VNCa CT value(-71.66±72.97Hu)of the iliac edema area was higher than that of the non-edema area(-90.27±65.85Hu),and the VNCa CT value of the sacral edema area(-62.90±46.87Hu)was higher than that of the non-edema area(-101.08±134.02Hu),the best cut-off values(Cut-off values)for the quantitative diagnosis of iliac bone and sacral BME by VNCa are-66.40Hu and-50.60Hu,respectively.The curve of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)of the iliac bone and sacrum area under the cure(AUC)is 0.720 and 0.706 respectively.There is a moderate negative correlation between the VNCa CT values of the ilium and sacrum in the edema area and the conventional CT values.Conclusion:The DECT VNCa technique has certain effectiveness in the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint BME,and its effectiveness in the diagnosis of ilium BME is better than sacrum.展开更多
AIM To analyze how various implants placement variables affect sacroiliac(SI) joint range of motion. METHODS An experimentally validated finite element model of the lumbar spine and pelvis was used to simulate a fusio...AIM To analyze how various implants placement variables affect sacroiliac(SI) joint range of motion. METHODS An experimentally validated finite element model of the lumbar spine and pelvis was used to simulate a fusion of the SI joint using various placement configurations of triangular implants(iF use Implant System~?). Placement configurations were varied by changing implant orientation, superior implant length, and number of implants. The range of motion of the SI joint was calculated using a constant moment of 10 N-m with a follower load of 400 N. The changes in motion were compared between the treatment groups to assess how the different variables affected the overall motion of the SI joint. RESULTS Transarticular placement of 3 implants with superior implants that end in the middle of the sacrum resulted in the greatest reduction in range of motion(flexion/extension = 73%, lateral bending = 42%, axial rotation = 72%). The range of motions of the SI joints were reduced with use of transarticular orientation(9%-18%) when compared with an inline orientation. The use of a superior implant that ended mid-sacrum resulted in median reductions of(8%-14%) when compared with a superior implant that ended in the middle of the ala. Reducing the number of implants, resulted in increased SI joint range of motions for the 1 and 2 implant models of 29%-133% and 2%-39%, respectively,when compared with the 3 implant model.CONCLUSION Using a validated finite element model we demonstrated that placement of 3 implants across the SI joint using a transarticular orientation with superior implant reaching the sacral midline resulted in the most stable construct. Additional clinical studies may be required to confirm these results.展开更多
Arthrodesis of the sacroiliac joint(SIJ) for surgical treatment of SIJ dysfunction has regained interest among spine specialists.Current techniques described in the literature most often utilize intraoperative fluoros...Arthrodesis of the sacroiliac joint(SIJ) for surgical treatment of SIJ dysfunction has regained interest among spine specialists.Current techniques described in the literature most often utilize intraoperative fluoroscopy to aid in implant placement;however,image guidance for SIJ fusion may allow for minimally invasive percutaneous instrumentation with more precise implant placement.In the following cases,we performed percutaneous stereotactic navigated sacroiliac instrumentation using O-arm^(?)multidimensional surgical imaging with StealthStation^(?)navigation(Medtronic,Inc.Minneapolis,MN).Patients were positioned prone and an image-guidance reference frame was placed contralateral to the surgical site.O-arm^(?) integrated with StealthStation^(?) allowed immediate autoregistration.The skin incision was planned with an image-guidance probe.An image-guided awl,drill and tap were utilized to choose a starting point and trajectory.Threaded titanium cage(s) packed with autograft and/or allograft were then placed.O-arm^(?) image-guidance allowed for implant placement in the SIJ with a small skin incision.However,we could not track the cage depth position with our current system,and in one patient,the SIJ cage had to be revised secondary to the anterior breach of sacrum.展开更多
Background: The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is an important cause of chronic low back pain, implicated in 15% - 30% of all cases. While radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) is the interventional treatment of choice for spinal pa...Background: The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is an important cause of chronic low back pain, implicated in 15% - 30% of all cases. While radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) is the interventional treatment of choice for spinal pain originating from the facet joints, fewer studies have investigated its potential for treating SIJ pain, and its long-term efficacy is unknown. Objectives: To obtain a real-world view of RFN treatment outcomes for SIJ pain by conducting an observational study within a community pain practice, among a heterogeneous patient group receiving standard-of-care diagnostic workup and treatment. Study Design: A prospective, observational study, with data collection over five years, was conducted at the authors' private practice. Patients & Methods: A cohort of 215 patients underwent fluoroscopically guided SIJ RFN of the dorsal and lateral branches of S1-S3 and the descending branch of L5. All patients had previously had their diagnosis of SIJ pain confirmed by controlled comparative analgesic blocks of relevant nerves, and recorded pre-procedure pain levels on the 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). Outcome measures included pain, and a Likert scale to measure alterations to analgesic use, changes to paid employment status and patient satisfaction. Results: We demonstrate an average pain reduction of 2.3 ± 2.1 NRS points following RFN (baseline pain score of 6.9 ± 1.7 to a follow-up average of 4.6 ± 2.7 NRS points;p ≤ 0.01). At a mean follow-up period of 14.9 ± 10.9 months (range 6 - 49 months), an overall 42.2% of patients reduced their analgesic use. Of the patients for whom employment capacity was applicable (82 patients), 21 patients reported an improvement. Overall, 67% of patients were satisfied with their outcome of post-RFN treatment. No complications occurred. Limitations: This observational study had no independent control group and only included a single study site. Conclusions: RFN is a safe and effective treatment for pain confirmed to originate from the sacroiliac joint.展开更多
Background: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain presents as a deep and somatic pain, predominantly affecting the lower back and buttock and referring down the leg, sometimes as far as the foot. Given that the features of SIJ ...Background: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain presents as a deep and somatic pain, predominantly affecting the lower back and buttock and referring down the leg, sometimes as far as the foot. Given that the features of SIJ pain are non-specific and that this referred pain is similar to lumbar facet joint and lumbar disc pain, diagnostic local anesthetic injections (diagnostic blocks) into the SIJ are used to identify the source of pain. Despite wide use, little is known about the false positive rate of a single diagnostic sacroiliac (SI) block and the requirement for a control block. Objective: To determine whether a control SI block is necessary and to monitor the false positive rate for a single injection. Study Design: A prospective and observational study was conducted as part of a practice audit, with data collected over 3.5 years at the authors’ private practice. Patients & Methods: Under fluoroscopic guidance, 1408 consecutive patients presenting with prominent deep somatic pain over the SIJ region were sterilely injected with anesthetic into the SIJ and/or the deep interosseous ligament (DIL). Pain was measured on the 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) prior to injection and incrementally over the following 1- 2 weeks. Fully completed and unequivocal data sets were available for 1060 patients. Decreases in pain scores (of >80%) at >2 hours of post-injection were indicative of SIJ pain and recorded as a positive SIJ block. Results: Of 1060 patients receiving a first SIJ diagnostic block, 680 (64.1%) recorded a positive result. Subsequently, 271 positive patients and 22 who were negative for SIJ pain opted to receive a second control block. SIJ pain diagnosis was confirmed in 237/271 (87.5%) of those with an initial positive response, while 18/22 patients (81%) had their initial negative result confirmed. The false positive rate of a single block is therefore calculated at 12.5%, and on a contingency table analysis, a single anesthetic SIJ injection has diagnostic accuracy of 87.03%, with high sensitivity (98.3%), when compared with a second control diagnostic block. Limitations: All injections were performed at one clinical centre. A proportion (348/1408) of initial patients did not return fully completed pain records or had equivocal responses (≥80% pain relief, but transiently, for ≤30 min) and were excluded from further analysis. Conclusion: Given the observed high rates of accuracy in this study, it is reasonable to suggest the use of one diagnostic block as the criterion standard for assessing the SIJ as the source of a patient’s pain.展开更多
Objective: To observe the clinical effect of tuina reduction manipulation on leg length discrepancy and lumbosacral pain due to sacroiliac joint subluxation. Methods: A total of 60 eligible cases were randomly allocat...Objective: To observe the clinical effect of tuina reduction manipulation on leg length discrepancy and lumbosacral pain due to sacroiliac joint subluxation. Methods: A total of 60 eligible cases were randomly allocated into an observation group and a control group, 30 in each group. Cases in the observation group were treated with conventional tuina plus reduction manipulation of sacroiliac joint subluxation; whereas cases in the control group were treated with conventional tuina plus acupuncture. The clinical effects were observed after 10 times of treatment. In addition, the relapse rates were observed 2 months after treatment. Results: The total effective rate in the observation group was 80.0%, versus 50.0% in the control group, showing a statistically significant difference(P < 0.05). The relapse rate of lumbosacral pain in the observation group was 12.5%, versus 66.7% in the control group, showing a statistically significant difference(P<0.01). The relapse rate of leg length discrepancy in the observation group was 16.7%, versus 80.0% in the control group, showing a statistically significant difference(P<0.01). Conclusion: Tuina reduction manipulation can obtain substantial therapeutic effect for leg length discrepancy and lumbosacral pain due to sacroiliac joint subluxation, coupled with a low relapse rate.展开更多
To explore the significance of sacroiliac joint aerocele in the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis, the data of 196 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were collected during December of 2008 to May of 2009. And...To explore the significance of sacroiliac joint aerocele in the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis, the data of 196 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were collected during December of 2008 to May of 2009. And 50 patients with osteoarthritis (OA), 15 patients with sclerosing osteitis (SO) and 47 patients with sacroiliac joint tumors were investigated as the control groups. The feature of sacroiliac joint aerocele in computed tomography (CT) images was observed carefully. In AS group there were 130 patients (66.3%) diagnosed as AS according to CT results, and 32 of them (24.6%) were observed with aerocele within sacroiliac joint cavity, majority of whom were earlier AS patients with slight bone destruction. Other 66 patients were diagnosed as early AS according to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography. CT examination showed that the 66 patients did not have apparent bone destruction, of whom, 26 (39.4%) patients had aerocele within sacroiliac joint cavity. Among the control groups of 15 (15/50, 30.0%) patients with OA, 5 (5/15, 33.3%) patients with SO were observed sacroiliac joint aerocele. The 47 patients with sacroiliac joint tumors were observed with bone or cartilage destruction, but without signs of sacroiliac joint aerocele. The sacroiliac joint aerocele in CT images of AS patients usually appeared as spots, streaks, small or larger round blocks, and it often happened in patients with earlier stage of diseases. Sacroiliac joint aerocele may be useful to early diagnosis of AS.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Cases of obturator nerve impingement(ONI)caused by osteophytes resulting from bone hyperplasia on the sacroiliac articular surface have never been reported.This paper presents such a case in a patient in whom severe lower limb pain was caused by osteophyte compression of the sacroiliac joint on the obturator nerve.CASE SUMMARY A 65-year-old Asian man presented with severe pain and numbness in his left lower limb,which became aggravated during walking and showed intermittent claudication.The physical examination revealed that the muscle strength of the left lower limb had decreased and that the passive knee flexion test result was positive.Computed tomography(CT)and 3D reconstruction showed a large osteophyte located in the anterior lower part of the left sacroiliac joint.The results of electrophysiological examination showed peripheral neuropathy.A CT-guided obturator nerve block significantly reduced the severity of pain in this patient.According to the above findings,ONI caused by the osteophyte in the sacroiliac joint was diagnosed.This patient underwent an operation to remove the bone spur and symptomatic treatment.After therapy,the patient's pain and numbness were significantly relieved.The last follow-up was performed 6 mo after the operation,and the patient recovered well without other complications,returned to work,and resumed his normal lifestyle.CONCLUSION Osteophytes of the sacroiliac joint can cause ONI,which leads to symptoms including severe radiative pain in the lower limb in patients.The diagnosis and differentiation of this disease should attract the attention of clinicians.Surgical excision of osteophytes should be considered when conservative treatment is not effective.
基金Project:Outstanding Youth Startup Foundation of Shanxi Province(No.2019YJ08)。
文摘Objective:To explore the clinical value of dual energy CT(DECT)virtual noncalcium(VNCa)in the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint bone marrow edema(BME).Methods:A collection of 45 patients(21 males,24 females,and an average age of 34 years)who underwent MRI and DECT(Siemens Somatom definition force)examinations for the sacroiliac joints in our hospital from January 2019 to August 2020.After the DECT scan,the bone marrow pseudo-color map was obtained after VNCa processing.The bone marrow pseudo-color map was evaluated by two physicians.Take MRI test results as the gold standard,the application value of DECT VNCa technology in the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint BME was analyzed.Results:The positive predictive value(PPV),negative predictive value(NPV),sensitivity(Sen),specificity(Spe)and accuracy(Acc)of the qualitative diagnosis of iliac bone and sacral BME with DECT VNCa technology was:80.6%,85.2%,78.4%,86.8%,83.3%and 100%,64.9%,32.5%,100%,70.0%,respectively.The area of edema displayed by quantitative measurement of DECT VNCa image is smaller than the area measured by MRI image.The VNCa CT value(-71.66±72.97Hu)of the iliac edema area was higher than that of the non-edema area(-90.27±65.85Hu),and the VNCa CT value of the sacral edema area(-62.90±46.87Hu)was higher than that of the non-edema area(-101.08±134.02Hu),the best cut-off values(Cut-off values)for the quantitative diagnosis of iliac bone and sacral BME by VNCa are-66.40Hu and-50.60Hu,respectively.The curve of the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)of the iliac bone and sacrum area under the cure(AUC)is 0.720 and 0.706 respectively.There is a moderate negative correlation between the VNCa CT values of the ilium and sacrum in the edema area and the conventional CT values.Conclusion:The DECT VNCa technique has certain effectiveness in the diagnosis of sacroiliac joint BME,and its effectiveness in the diagnosis of ilium BME is better than sacrum.
文摘AIM To analyze how various implants placement variables affect sacroiliac(SI) joint range of motion. METHODS An experimentally validated finite element model of the lumbar spine and pelvis was used to simulate a fusion of the SI joint using various placement configurations of triangular implants(iF use Implant System~?). Placement configurations were varied by changing implant orientation, superior implant length, and number of implants. The range of motion of the SI joint was calculated using a constant moment of 10 N-m with a follower load of 400 N. The changes in motion were compared between the treatment groups to assess how the different variables affected the overall motion of the SI joint. RESULTS Transarticular placement of 3 implants with superior implants that end in the middle of the sacrum resulted in the greatest reduction in range of motion(flexion/extension = 73%, lateral bending = 42%, axial rotation = 72%). The range of motions of the SI joints were reduced with use of transarticular orientation(9%-18%) when compared with an inline orientation. The use of a superior implant that ended mid-sacrum resulted in median reductions of(8%-14%) when compared with a superior implant that ended in the middle of the ala. Reducing the number of implants, resulted in increased SI joint range of motions for the 1 and 2 implant models of 29%-133% and 2%-39%, respectively,when compared with the 3 implant model.CONCLUSION Using a validated finite element model we demonstrated that placement of 3 implants across the SI joint using a transarticular orientation with superior implant reaching the sacral midline resulted in the most stable construct. Additional clinical studies may be required to confirm these results.
文摘Arthrodesis of the sacroiliac joint(SIJ) for surgical treatment of SIJ dysfunction has regained interest among spine specialists.Current techniques described in the literature most often utilize intraoperative fluoroscopy to aid in implant placement;however,image guidance for SIJ fusion may allow for minimally invasive percutaneous instrumentation with more precise implant placement.In the following cases,we performed percutaneous stereotactic navigated sacroiliac instrumentation using O-arm^(?)multidimensional surgical imaging with StealthStation^(?)navigation(Medtronic,Inc.Minneapolis,MN).Patients were positioned prone and an image-guidance reference frame was placed contralateral to the surgical site.O-arm^(?) integrated with StealthStation^(?) allowed immediate autoregistration.The skin incision was planned with an image-guidance probe.An image-guided awl,drill and tap were utilized to choose a starting point and trajectory.Threaded titanium cage(s) packed with autograft and/or allograft were then placed.O-arm^(?) image-guidance allowed for implant placement in the SIJ with a small skin incision.However,we could not track the cage depth position with our current system,and in one patient,the SIJ cage had to be revised secondary to the anterior breach of sacrum.
文摘Background: The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is an important cause of chronic low back pain, implicated in 15% - 30% of all cases. While radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) is the interventional treatment of choice for spinal pain originating from the facet joints, fewer studies have investigated its potential for treating SIJ pain, and its long-term efficacy is unknown. Objectives: To obtain a real-world view of RFN treatment outcomes for SIJ pain by conducting an observational study within a community pain practice, among a heterogeneous patient group receiving standard-of-care diagnostic workup and treatment. Study Design: A prospective, observational study, with data collection over five years, was conducted at the authors' private practice. Patients & Methods: A cohort of 215 patients underwent fluoroscopically guided SIJ RFN of the dorsal and lateral branches of S1-S3 and the descending branch of L5. All patients had previously had their diagnosis of SIJ pain confirmed by controlled comparative analgesic blocks of relevant nerves, and recorded pre-procedure pain levels on the 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS). Outcome measures included pain, and a Likert scale to measure alterations to analgesic use, changes to paid employment status and patient satisfaction. Results: We demonstrate an average pain reduction of 2.3 ± 2.1 NRS points following RFN (baseline pain score of 6.9 ± 1.7 to a follow-up average of 4.6 ± 2.7 NRS points;p ≤ 0.01). At a mean follow-up period of 14.9 ± 10.9 months (range 6 - 49 months), an overall 42.2% of patients reduced their analgesic use. Of the patients for whom employment capacity was applicable (82 patients), 21 patients reported an improvement. Overall, 67% of patients were satisfied with their outcome of post-RFN treatment. No complications occurred. Limitations: This observational study had no independent control group and only included a single study site. Conclusions: RFN is a safe and effective treatment for pain confirmed to originate from the sacroiliac joint.
文摘Background: Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) pain presents as a deep and somatic pain, predominantly affecting the lower back and buttock and referring down the leg, sometimes as far as the foot. Given that the features of SIJ pain are non-specific and that this referred pain is similar to lumbar facet joint and lumbar disc pain, diagnostic local anesthetic injections (diagnostic blocks) into the SIJ are used to identify the source of pain. Despite wide use, little is known about the false positive rate of a single diagnostic sacroiliac (SI) block and the requirement for a control block. Objective: To determine whether a control SI block is necessary and to monitor the false positive rate for a single injection. Study Design: A prospective and observational study was conducted as part of a practice audit, with data collected over 3.5 years at the authors’ private practice. Patients & Methods: Under fluoroscopic guidance, 1408 consecutive patients presenting with prominent deep somatic pain over the SIJ region were sterilely injected with anesthetic into the SIJ and/or the deep interosseous ligament (DIL). Pain was measured on the 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) prior to injection and incrementally over the following 1- 2 weeks. Fully completed and unequivocal data sets were available for 1060 patients. Decreases in pain scores (of >80%) at >2 hours of post-injection were indicative of SIJ pain and recorded as a positive SIJ block. Results: Of 1060 patients receiving a first SIJ diagnostic block, 680 (64.1%) recorded a positive result. Subsequently, 271 positive patients and 22 who were negative for SIJ pain opted to receive a second control block. SIJ pain diagnosis was confirmed in 237/271 (87.5%) of those with an initial positive response, while 18/22 patients (81%) had their initial negative result confirmed. The false positive rate of a single block is therefore calculated at 12.5%, and on a contingency table analysis, a single anesthetic SIJ injection has diagnostic accuracy of 87.03%, with high sensitivity (98.3%), when compared with a second control diagnostic block. Limitations: All injections were performed at one clinical centre. A proportion (348/1408) of initial patients did not return fully completed pain records or had equivocal responses (≥80% pain relief, but transiently, for ≤30 min) and were excluded from further analysis. Conclusion: Given the observed high rates of accuracy in this study, it is reasonable to suggest the use of one diagnostic block as the criterion standard for assessing the SIJ as the source of a patient’s pain.
基金supported by Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine and the First Affiliated Hospital of Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine
文摘Objective: To observe the clinical effect of tuina reduction manipulation on leg length discrepancy and lumbosacral pain due to sacroiliac joint subluxation. Methods: A total of 60 eligible cases were randomly allocated into an observation group and a control group, 30 in each group. Cases in the observation group were treated with conventional tuina plus reduction manipulation of sacroiliac joint subluxation; whereas cases in the control group were treated with conventional tuina plus acupuncture. The clinical effects were observed after 10 times of treatment. In addition, the relapse rates were observed 2 months after treatment. Results: The total effective rate in the observation group was 80.0%, versus 50.0% in the control group, showing a statistically significant difference(P < 0.05). The relapse rate of lumbosacral pain in the observation group was 12.5%, versus 66.7% in the control group, showing a statistically significant difference(P<0.01). The relapse rate of leg length discrepancy in the observation group was 16.7%, versus 80.0% in the control group, showing a statistically significant difference(P<0.01). Conclusion: Tuina reduction manipulation can obtain substantial therapeutic effect for leg length discrepancy and lumbosacral pain due to sacroiliac joint subluxation, coupled with a low relapse rate.
基金the Program for Excellent Young Talents of the Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital (No. 1402)
文摘To explore the significance of sacroiliac joint aerocele in the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis, the data of 196 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were collected during December of 2008 to May of 2009. And 50 patients with osteoarthritis (OA), 15 patients with sclerosing osteitis (SO) and 47 patients with sacroiliac joint tumors were investigated as the control groups. The feature of sacroiliac joint aerocele in computed tomography (CT) images was observed carefully. In AS group there were 130 patients (66.3%) diagnosed as AS according to CT results, and 32 of them (24.6%) were observed with aerocele within sacroiliac joint cavity, majority of whom were earlier AS patients with slight bone destruction. Other 66 patients were diagnosed as early AS according to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography. CT examination showed that the 66 patients did not have apparent bone destruction, of whom, 26 (39.4%) patients had aerocele within sacroiliac joint cavity. Among the control groups of 15 (15/50, 30.0%) patients with OA, 5 (5/15, 33.3%) patients with SO were observed sacroiliac joint aerocele. The 47 patients with sacroiliac joint tumors were observed with bone or cartilage destruction, but without signs of sacroiliac joint aerocele. The sacroiliac joint aerocele in CT images of AS patients usually appeared as spots, streaks, small or larger round blocks, and it often happened in patients with earlier stage of diseases. Sacroiliac joint aerocele may be useful to early diagnosis of AS.
