SI Joint Fusion Surgery Side Effects: This is a Dumb Idea

The sacroliac joint (SI) has always been a controversial topic in medicine. How to effectively treat patients with chronic SI joint problems has also been a mystery to many physicians. A new take on an old and defrocked surgery called SI Joint fusion is now becoming all the rage, but should patients with SI joint…read more

SI Joint Fusion Problems vs. Stem Cell Injections

Many patients who have intractable SI joint pain who opt for surgery eventually experience SI Joint Fusion problems. As an alternative to this invasive surgery, do stem cell injections work for chronic SI joint problems? One of the advantages of 10 years of stem cell use for orthopedic injuries is that I have patients who…read more

Figuring Out a Complex Patient with an SI Joint Cyst: Interventional Orthopedics

Should we perform a low back or SI joint fusion on an active young woman just because we don’t know why she hurts? SR is a 15 year old cheerleader who was referred to our clinic because of severe and disabling low back pain. She went from a competitive cheerleader to being in severe pain, unable to walk without…read more

SI Joint Pain after Low Back Fusion

Low back fusions are a big problem. While a few patients who get their back fused really need the procedure to control serious instability, most patients get their back fused to help control pain. Recent controversies surrounding things like BMP drugs to promote fusion (which cause sterility in men), the fact that we American doctors fuse…read more