Measurement of sacroiliac joint stiffness in peripartum pelvic pain patients with Doppler imaging of vibrations (DIV).
OBJECTIVE
The research question of the present study was: are sacroiliac joint stiffness levels of peripartum pelvic pain patients different from those of healthy subjects?


METHODS
A cross-sectional comparative sacroiliac joint stiffness analysis of peripartum pelvic pain patients with healthy subjects. In previous studies we introduced a new technique, Doppler imaging of vibrations (DIV), to assess sacroiliac joint stiffness using colour Doppler imaging and vibrations. The measurements were performed on a group of peripartum pelvic pain patients (n=56) and on a control group (n=52). The differences in sacroiliac joint stiffness between the patient group and the control group were tested statistically by means of the Wilcoxon's two sample test, the chi-square test and Student's t-tests.


RESULTS
Both patients and controls displayed stiff as well as unstiff joints with no significant difference. There was a significant difference between the groups with regard to the relative difference of sacroiliac joint stiffness between left and right.


CONCLUSIONS
A diagnostic tool which can possibly be developed in the future could demonstrate an objective finding among women with peripartum pelvic pain. DIV is easy to apply and non-invasive. Asymmetric stiffness of the sacroiliac joints seems to be more directly related to low back pain and pelvic pain, not the stiffness level of a single sacroiliac joint.
Buyruk
H M
HM
Institute of Rehabilitation, University Hospital Rotterdam, The Netherlands. buyruk@revd.azr.nl
Stam
H J
HJ
Snijders
C J
CJ
Laméris
J S
JS
Holland
W P
WP
Stijnen
T H
TH
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D017699:Pelvic Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D012446:Sacroiliac Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color