JBJS - 2026-05-19 - Journal Article
Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Fusion Compared with Sham Operation (SIFSO Trial): A Concise Follow-up, at 2 Years, of a Previous Report.
Kibsgård TJ, Gerdhem P, Diarbakerli E, Randers EM
Topics
Key Takeaway
At 2 years, minimally invasive SI joint fusion maintained superiority over sham surgery with a mean VAS pain improvement of 41.5 vs. 13.5 points (p<0.001) and 73% of fusion patients achieving ≥20-point improvement versus 26% of sham patients.
Summary Depth
Choose how much analysis to show on this article page.
Summary
The SIFSO trial compared minimally invasive sacroiliac joint fusion (SIJF) to sham surgery in patients with chronic SI joint pain confirmed by diagnostic criteria; this report presents 2-year follow-up of the previously published trial. Fusion patients demonstrated significantly greater VAS pain reduction and higher responder rates than sham controls at 2 years. Crossover from sham to fusion was permitted after the primary endpoint, complicating intent-to-treat interpretation at extended follow-up.
Key Limitation
Sham-arm crossover after the primary endpoint markedly depletes the control group, making 2-year between-group comparisons underpowered and potentially biased toward overestimating fusion benefit.
Original Abstract
Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.