Systematic Review of the Diagnostic Accuracy
and Therapeutic Effectiveness of Sacroiliac Joint
Interventions
Authors: Simopoulos Thomas T. 
Published: February 2021

Background: The sacroiliac joint is well known as a cause of low back and lower extremity pain.
Prevalence estimates are 10% to 25% in patients with persistent axial low back pain without
disc herniation, discogenic pain, or radiculitis based on multiple diagnostic studies and systematic
reviews. However, at present there are no definitive management options for treating sacroiliac
joint pain.
Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic effectiveness of sacroiliac joint
interventions.
Study Design: A systematic review of the diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic effectiveness of
sacroiliac joint interventions.
Methods: The available literature on diagnostic and therapeutic sacroiliac joint interventions was
reviewed. The quality assessment criteria utilized were the Quality Appraisal of Reliability Studies
(QAREL) checklist for diagnostic accuracy studies, Cochrane review criteria to assess sources of
risk of bias, and Interventional Pain Management Techniques – Quality Appraisal of Reliability and
Risk of Bias Assessment (IPM – QRB) criteria for randomized therapeutic trials and Interventional
Pain Management Techniques – Quality Appraisal of Reliability and Risk of Bias Assessment for
Nonrandomized Studies (IPM – QRBNR) for observational therapeutic assessments.
The level of evidence was based on a best evidence synthesis with modified grading of qualitative
evidence from Level I to Level V.
Data sources included relevant literature published from 1966 through March 2015 that were
identified through searches of PubMed and EMBASE, manual searches of the bibliographies of
known primary and review articles, and all other sources.
Outcome Measures: For the diagnostic accuracy assessment, and for the therapeutic modalities,
the primary outcome measure of pain relief and improvement in functional status were utilized.
Results: A total of 11 diagnostic accuracy studies and 14 therapeutic studies were included. The
evidence for diagnostic accuracy is Level II for dual diagnostic blocks with at least 70% pain relief
as the criterion standard and Level III evidence for single diagnostic blocks with at least 75% pain
relief as the criterion standard.
The evidence for cooled radiofrequency neurotomy in managing sacroiliac joint pain is Level II to
III. The evidence for conventional radiofrequency neurotomy, intraarticular steroid injections, and
periarticular injections with steroids or botulinum toxin is limited: Level III or IV.
Limitations: The limitations of this systematic review include inconsistencies in diagnostic
accuracy studies with a paucity of high quality, replicative, and consistent literature. The limitations
for therapeutic interventions include variations in technique, variable diagnostic standards for
inclusion criteria, and variable results.Conclusion: The evidence for the accuracy of diagnostic and therapeutic effectiveness of sacroiliac joint interventions varied from
Level II to Level IV.
Key words: Chronic low back pain, sacroiliac joint pain, sacroiliitis, sacroiliac joint injection, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, thermal
radiofrequency, pulsed radiofrequency