Can back pain caused by symptom-giving sacroiliac joint relaxation ...

1. Background
1.1. Anatomy
1.1.1. The sacroiliac joint (SIJ)
The pelvic girdle is an articulated bony ring composed of the left and right coxal bone
and the sacrum. These three bony parts are dorsally joined by the two sacroiliac
joints (SIJs) and ventrally by the pubic symphysis. Even though this anatomic
structure has to assure high stability, the pelvis shows a certain inherent mobility
which plays an essential role in the birth process. [58]
No consensus has been reached so far regarding the anatomic classification of the
SIJs. This may be due to the fact that in former times it was assumed that the SIJs
did not have any mobility at all. This assumption was based on findings of in vitro
studies of preparations of older persons where SIJs have been ankylosed already
[24].
One part of the joint region can be
described as a diarthrosis. It is a
synovial joint composed of the joint
cavity, joint capsule, ligaments and
joint partners covered with hyaline
cartilage. The first one to describe this
joint as above was Von Luschka in
Fig. 1A: Transverse section of SIJ [24]
1854 [63]. [24, 58]
If the dorsal aspect between the ilium
and the sacrum, which is filled with the interosseous sacroiliac ligaments, is seen as
one separate part of the SIJ, this part of the joint can be described as a
syndesmosis. [7]
Master’s Thesis Wolfgang Aspalter 11