Pelvic orthosis effects on posterior pelvis kinematics

The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) is a well-known source of low back pain, with increasing interest for both conservative and surgical treatment. Alterations in pelvis kinematics are hypothesized as a contributor to SIJ pain and pelvic orthoses one treatment option, but their effects on the pelvis are poorly understood. Alterations in movement patterns induced by the application of pelvic orthoses were determined in five human cadaveric pelvises. Deformations were obtained from the lumbosacral transition and the bilateral SIJ, using digital image correlation and a customized routine to compute the movements within the pelvis. Significant alterations were found for the movements at the SIJ, in particular a vast increase in axial (x-axis) rotation, accompanied by increased inferior (y-) translation of the sacrum relative to the ilium. Movement patterns at the lumbosacral transition changed, causing increases in axial rotation and decreased inferior translation of L5 relative to S1. Using a physiologic mode of load application gives novel insights into the potential effects of pelvic orthoses. The results of these in-vitro experiments vary markedly from previous experiments with loading limited to two or less axes. Furthermore, the influence of pelvic orthoses on the lumbosacral transition warrants further investigation.