Vibration Energy Color Doppler Imaging (VECDI) in Evaluating the Effect of Screw Fixation on Sacroiliac Joint Stiffness: A Prospective Pilot Study

Asymmetric laxity through the SIJ can be associated with pain resulting from either trauma or inherent physiologic variations. Prior to this study, the mainstay of evaluation was subjective indexes, such as the ODI. Here we propose VECDI as a potentially objective tool in SIJ assessment. Following surgical fixation necessitated by trauma, fixation using SI screws demonstrated similar stiffness values through the SIJ at four- and eight-weeks post-operatively when compared to healthy controls. Direct inferences regarding VECDI's exact sensitivity to SIJ dysfunction cannot be concluded from our investigation due to small sample sizes. Future investigations should include a larger sample size to enhance our understanding of stiffness measurements obtained using VECDI, validate the technique, and determine the time-course of healing from SIJ surgical stabilization.