TITLE:
SImmetry® Sacroiliac Joint Fusion System with SImmetry Decorticator®
AUTHORS:
Brian Beaubien, Richard M. Salib, Louis C. Fielding, Jon E. Block
KEYWORDS:
Sacroiliac, Decortication, Low Back Pain, Minimally Invasive
JOURNAL NAME:
Surgical Science,
Vol.6 No.7,
July
3,
2015
ABSTRACT: Low back pain (LBP)
is one of the most prevalent, disabling and costly medical conditions affecting
modern society. LBP presents a significant challenge to effective treatment due
to often multifactorial or unknown etiology. Since the 1980s, the sacroiliac
(SI) joint has become increasingly recognized as a common source of LBP. In
contrast to other sources of LBP such as internal disc disruption and even
psychosocial factors, SI joint pain and degeneration are reliably identified
with provocative manual tests and diagnostic injections. Fusion of the SI joint
has been shown to provide enduring symptom relief, and minimally invasive techniques
developed over the past decade have further reduced the operative risks
associated with open fusion surgery. Minimally invasive SI joint fusion
surgeries are typically performed by placing rigid implant components across
the joint space. The implants provide mechanical fixation while bony fusion
develops. Decortication of the SI joint space during the procedure produces a
bleeding bone surface that allows for increased availability of autologous
mesenchymal stem cells and growth factors at the fusion site. Coupled with the mechanical stability provided by the
implant and autologous bone graft, decortication provides an optimal
environment for bone growth and subsequent fusion of the joint. This report describes the background of SI joint disease, treatment,
and the minimally invasive SImmetry? Sacroiliac Joint Fusion
System (Zyga Technology, Inc., Minnetonka, MN, USA), with emphasis on the
decortication instrumentation and procedure.