title: Pelvic joint fusions in patients with chronic pelvic girdle pain: a 23-year follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fusion of the sacroiliac joints (SIJ) has been a treatment option for patients with severe pelvic girdle pain (PGP). The primary aims were to evaluate the long-term outcomes in patients who underwent SIJ fusion and to compare 1-year outcomes with long-term outcomes. The secondary aim was to compare patients who underwent SIJ fusion with a comparable group who did not.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study includes fifty patients that underwent SIJ fusion between 1977 and 1998. Function (the Oswestry disability index; ODI), pain intensity (visual analogue scale; VAS) and health-related quality of life (SF-36) were determined according to a patient-reported questionnaire. The questionnaire scores were compared with previously recorded 1-year outcomes and with questionnaire scores from a group of 28 patients who did not undergo SIJ fusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The patients who underwent SIJ fusion reported a mean ODI of 33 (95 % CI 24-42) and a mean VAS score of 54 (95 % CI 46-63) 23 years (range 19-34) after surgery. Regarding quality of life, the patients reported reduced physical function, but mental health was not affected in the same manner. The patients with successful 1-year outcomes (48 %) retained significantly improved function and reduced pain levels compared with the subgroup of patients with unsuccessful 1-year outcomes (28 %). The patients who underwent surgery did not differ from the non-surgery group in any outcome at the long-term follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients treated with SIJ fusion had moderate disability and pain 23 years after surgery, and the 1-year outcomes were sustained 23 years after surgery. Although many fused patients reported good outcome, this group did not differ from the comparable non-surgical group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Oslo University Hospital, P.B. 4950, 0424 Oslo, Norway. kibsgard@gmail.com
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Kibsgård
authors.forename: Olav
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Røise
authors.forename: Einar
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sudmann
authors.forename: Britt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stuge
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D059388:Pelvic Girdle Pain / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012446:Sacroiliac Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome