Sacroiliac Fusion (SI Fusion) in Queens

Sacroiliac Fusion at our Queens, NY location provides lasting relief for patients with confirmed SI joint pain, using a minimally invasive surgical approach to permanently stabilize the sacroiliac joint.

Chronic SI Joint Pain Has a Source. SI Fusion Addresses It Directly.

The sacroiliac joint is one of the most commonly missed sources of lower back, buttock, and pelvic pain. When conservative treatments and therapeutic injections have confirmed the SI joint as the problem but failed to provide lasting relief, surgical fusion offers a more definitive solution.

At Gerling Spine Care and Research Institute, Queens patients benefit from a team that approaches SI joint dysfunction with the same diagnostic rigor and minimally invasive precision applied across all of our spinal procedures.

Contact our Queens office today to schedule a consultation and find out whether SI Fusion is right for you.

What Is Sacroiliac Fusion?

Sacroiliac Fusion is a minimally invasive surgical procedure that permanently stabilizes the SI joint by promoting biological fusion of the joint surfaces. Through a small incision, titanium implants or bone graft material are placed across the SI joint under fluoroscopic or navigation guidance, eliminating the painful micro-motion at the joint and reducing the chronic inflammation it produces.

The Role of the Sacroiliac Joint

The sacroiliac joint connects the sacrum at the base of the spine to the iliac bone of the pelvis on each side of the body. Its primary function is structural stability rather than flexibility, transferring load from the upper body to the lower extremities through a dense network of surrounding ligaments.

When this stability is compromised through injury, degeneration, or inflammation, the resulting pain can be significant, persistent, and difficult to distinguish from lumbar spine pathology without a careful diagnostic evaluation.

Why Minimally Invasive Technique Matters

Compared to open surgical approaches to the SI joint, the minimally invasive technique results in significantly less tissue disruption, reduced blood loss, a shorter hospital stay, and a more comfortable and predictable recovery. Most patients are ambulatory within 24 hours of surgery and are discharged within one to two days.

Medical professional applying pressure to someone's lower back

Conditions Treated With SI Fusion

SI Fusion is considered when the sacroiliac joint has been confirmed as the primary source of a patient's chronic pain and conservative treatments have not provided lasting relief. Appropriate conditions include:

Sacroiliac joint dysfunction or instability
Sacroiliitis from degenerative or inflammatory causes
Degenerative arthritis of the SI joint
Post-traumatic SI joint injury or disruption
Post-partum SI joint instability
Adjacent segment stress following lumbar fusion at L5-S1
Chronic SI joint pain confirmed through diagnostic injection

Surgical intervention is considered only after conservative treatments have been thoroughly explored and the SI joint has been confirmed as the primary pain generator through one or more guided diagnostic injections.

Are You a Candidate for SI Fusion in Queens?

Good candidates have chronic lower back, buttock, or pelvic pain lasting six months or more that has been confirmed as originating from the SI joint through diagnostic injection, and that has not responded adequately to conservative treatments, including physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medications, and therapeutic SI joint injections.

Candidacy also depends on overall health, the specific cause of SI joint dysfunction, and the absence of other significant pain generators that would limit the benefit of surgical stabilization.

Our Queens team conducts a thorough evaluation before recommending any surgical intervention, and is committed to exhausting appropriate conservative options before SI Fusion is considered.

We’re here to help you move forward.

What to Expect From SI Fusion in Queens

From your first appointment through your full recovery, our team provides the guidance and support needed at every stage of your care.

Before Your Sacroiliac Fusion

Your consultation will include a detailed review of your symptoms, prior treatments, and imaging. Diagnostic SI joint injections are used to confirm the joint as the pain source before any surgical recommendation is made. Our team ensures every patient is fully informed and confident before moving forward.

The Day of Your Surgery

The procedure is minimally invasive and typically completed in under an hour. A small incision is made, and implants are placed across the SI joint under imaging guidance. Most Queens patients are ambulatory the following day and discharged within one to two days.

Recovering After Your Procedure

Many patients notice meaningful improvement within the first few weeks as stabilization reduces the micro-motion driving their symptoms. Full biological fusion of the SI joint, confirmed by imaging, typically takes six to twelve months.

Physical therapy begins several weeks after surgery, focused on core and lower extremity strengthening. Our team monitors your healing closely throughout recovery.

Why Choose Gerling Spine Care and Research Institute?

SI joint dysfunction is a condition that rewards careful diagnosis and precise surgical technique in equal measure. Our Queens team brings both, along with the broader spine and joint expertise of a practice that treats the full spectrum of conditions producing lower back and pelvic pain.

Patients who have spent months or years searching for the source of their pain will find a team here genuinely committed to getting the answer right before recommending any treatment.

Sacroiliac Fusion (SI Fusion) Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my pain is coming from the SI joint?

SI joint pain is typically felt just below the beltline on one side, worsens with prolonged sitting or transitional movements, and does not follow a clear nerve root pattern into the leg. A guided diagnostic SI joint injection is the most reliable way to confirm the SI joint as the pain source before any treatment is recommended.

How is SI fusion different from spinal fusion?

Both procedures use implants and bone grafts to permanently join two bones together, but SI fusion specifically targets the joint between the sacrum and the iliac bone rather than the vertebrae of the spine. The surgical approach, implant system, and recovery profile are distinct from those of lumbar spinal fusion.

Will SI fusion affect my movement?

The SI joint has a very limited natural range of motion, so fusion has minimal impact on overall mobility for the vast majority of patients. The goal is to eliminate the painful, unstable micro-motion at the joint while preserving normal walking, sitting, and standing function.

What if therapeutic SI joint injections have not helped?

Temporary relief from a diagnostic injection that confirms the SI joint as the pain source, even if that relief did not last, is a positive indicator for surgical candidacy. Patients who have had confirmed SI joint pain without lasting therapeutic benefit from injections may be well-suited for surgical stabilization.

How successful is minimally invasive SI fusion?

Research consistently shows that approximately 80% of appropriately selected patients achieve meaningful and lasting pain relief following minimally invasive SI fusion. Outcomes are strongest when the SI joint has been carefully confirmed as the primary pain generator and the procedure is performed by an experienced surgical team.