Purpose: To evaluate the success of a new guidance device for sacroiliac joint puncture.
Material and Methods: The device was first tested on a human anatomical model and thereafter on two groups of patients. In the first group (n = 8), the traditional hand-guided method was used, and in the second group (n = 10) the needle-holder device. The parameters evaluated in each group were “the number of attempts”, defined as the number of skin punctures, and “fluoroscopy-injection time”, defined as the time from the beginning of the fluoroscopy to the end of the correct insertion of the needle into the joint.
Results: Sacroiliac injection with the new device required significantly fewer attempts (2.1±2 versus 4.3±3) and shorter fluoroscopy injection times (8.9±3 min versus 15±5 min; P<0.05).
Conclusion: The new guidance device makes sacroiliac joint injection easier and prevents unnecessary exposure to radiation during the procedure.
