At the Villa dei Fiori Nursing Home in Mugnano di Napoli, part of the NefroCenter group, the first sacroiliac arthrodesis procedure in Europe for painful dysfunctional sacroiliac syndrome was performed, using the brand new I-Fuse®️ TORQ®️ device.
The surgery was performed on a 45-year-old patient by Dr. Pier Francesco Eugeni, senior neurosurgeon in the High Complexity Neurosurgery group of the NefroCenter group, which holds the second largest European caseload for this type of highly complex surgery.
Sacroiliac syndrome, also known as sacroiliac joint pain dysfunction, is one of the most common causes of low back pain. Despite this, it is often overlooked in the evaluation of patients complaining of back pain.
The pain typically occurs in the lower back, radiating to the buttocks, groin, or lower limbs, and can be so severe that it prevents standing. In many cases, this condition is confused with sciatica or lumbago.
Causes may include trauma, postural imbalances, limb length differences, car accidents, spinal surgery, or childbirth.
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When medical and physical therapy are not effective, arthrodesis — or surgical fusion — of the sacroiliac joint may be necessary, a procedure that does not cause significant functional limitations.
The TORQ® device, available in Europe for a few weeks, represents a significant technological innovation in the treatment of sacroiliac syndrome. It allows joint fusion, further reducing surgical trauma compared to previous techniques. It represents the latest technological advancement.
The technique involves the insertion of three porous titanium implants that pass through the sacroiliac joint, stabilizing it and inducing bone fusion within a few months. Patients are generally able to walk the day of surgery, with a post-operative hospital stay of only a few days.
The minimally invasive approach allows this surgical option to be extended to elderly patients or those with delicate general conditions.
Dr. Pier Francesco Eugeni, who graduated from L'Aquila in 1984 and specialized in Neurosurgery at the Federico II Polyclinic in Naples in 1989, boasts nearly forty years of experience gained in Italy and abroad.
He is a director in the group NephroCenter of the program for the management of spinal cord traumatology.
In 2017 he was the first surgeon in Europe to use the I-Fuse3D device, a version previous to the current TORQ®️.
Comments (1)
The article is interesting and provides useful information about a procedure I wasn't aware of. Sacroiliac syndrome appears to be more complex than I thought, and the new TORQ® technology is a welcome development in medicine.