CClinicalTrials.gg
Not yet recruitingNCT07791108Updated Sep 22, 2026

Outcomes of Intra-articular Steroid Injection Via Ultrasound Guidance Versus Fluoroscopic Guidance in the Sacroiliac Joint in Patients With Sacroiliitis

An interventional study of Ultrasound-guided intra-articular steroid injection in Sacroiliitis, sponsored by Allied Hospital Faisalabad. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 70 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-22.

Sponsored by Allied Hospital Faisalabad · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
176
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 70 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Sacroiliitis is a common cause of low back and buttock pain. Intra-articular steroid injection of the sacroiliac joint can provide pain relief and functional improvement. This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the outcomes of ultrasound-guided versus fluoroscopic-guided sacroiliac joint steroid injections in patients with sacroiliitis. The study will evaluate procedural success, pain reduction, and functional improvement using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at follow-up intervals.

Read the detailed description

The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is increasingly recognized as a contributor to low back pain (LBP), with epidemiological estimates attributing approximately 10-30 % of mechanical low back pain cases to SIJ pathology1. Anatomically, the SIJ is a synovial-type (inferior portion) or syndesmosis-type (superior portion) joint between the sacrum and the ilium, supported by substantial interosseous, posterior and anterior ligaments and innervated by dorsal sacral rami and lower lumbar dorsal rami2. Inflammatory involvement of the SIJ occurs in conditions such as axial spondyloarthritis and may also arise post-traumatically or degeneratively3.

NSAIDs and physical therapies are used to treat sacroiliitis. However, intraarticular corticosteroid injections administered locally to the SI joint might result in rapid and significant clinical improvements in extremely painful instances4,5. Fluoroscope guided (FL) is usually employed to increase the precision of this treatment, however CT and MRI have also been used in recent years. These imaging techniques have a number of drawbacks, such as radiation exposure, expense, and the need for suitable infrastructure6. A new alternative technique for guiding SIJ injection is ultrasound (US) guidance. The advantages of US-guided injection over FL include that it eliminates radiation exposure, is more accessible, and is less expensive when used alone. Additionally, the US permits "real-time" visualisation of the injectate distribution and needle tip during injection.7,8.

02

Conditions studied

  • Sacroiliitis

Browse trials for

Keywords

  • Sacroillitis, Triamcinolone
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 70 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Age 18-70 years
  • Both sexes
  • Clinical diagnosis of sacroiliitis

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Prior SI joint injection in the past 12 months

    • Contraindication to corticosteroid injection (systemic infection, local infection, bleeding diathesis, uncontrolled diabetes with HbA1c >9%, allergy to contrast or steroid)
    • Radicular or neurogenic pain attributable to lumbar spine or hip pathology
    • Pregnancy or breastfeeding
    • Severe osteoarthritis or fusion of the SI joint on imaging
    • Systemic rheumatologic disease requiring systemic biologic therapy (unless stable for >6 months)
04

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
176 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Ultrasound-guided SI Joint Injection

    Participants will receive sacroiliac joint steroid injection under ultrasound guidance using 40 mg triamcinolone acetonide mixed with 1 mL 0.25% bupivacaine.

    Procedure: Ultrasound-guided intra-articular steroid injection

  • Active comparator
    Fluoroscopic-guided SI Joint Injection

    Participants will receive sacroiliac joint steroid injection under fluoroscopic guidance with contrast confirmation followed by the same steroid-bupivacaine injection.

    Procedure: Ultrasound-guided intra-articular steroid injection

Interventions

  • ProcedureUltrasound-guided intra-articular steroid injection

    Participants will receive intra-articular sacroiliac joint steroid injection under ultrasound guidance. A needle will be advanced under real-time ultrasound guidance to the sacroiliac joint, and 40 mg triamcinolone acetonide mixed with 1 mL 0.25% bupivacaine will be injected.

    Also known as: Ultrasound-guided SI Joint Injection

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Procedural success rate of sacroiliac joint injection

    Successful intra-articular deposition of steroid in the sacroiliac joint confirmed by the respective imaging guidance modality (ultrasound or fluoroscopy).

    Time frame: During the procedure

Secondary outcomes

  1. Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) Score

    The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) is a validated patient-reported outcome measure used to assess disability related to low back pain. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater disability and worse functional status.

    Time frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, 1 month, and 3 months after the procedure

06

Study locations

1 site
  • Allied Hospital Faisalabad
    Faisalābad, Punjab Province 38000, Pakistan
07

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT07791108
Lead sponsor
Allied Hospital Faisalabad
Responsible party
Tahir Aslam (Principal Investigator, Allied Hospital Faisalabad) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 27, 2026
Start date
Aug 25, 2026 (estimated)
Primary completion
Oct 15, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Oct 25, 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Sep 22, 2026

Study contacts

Dr.Tahir Aslam Tahir, MBBS, FCPS Orthopedics
Contact
tahiraslam398@gmail.com
+923004499924

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Sep 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion