Devices and methods for the diagnosis and treatment of sacro-iliac joint disease

A method for placing an implant within a target sacro-iliac joint of an adjacent sacrum bone and ilium bone, comprising:

• accessing an inferior segment of said target sacro-iliac joint;
• forming a corridor from said accessed position towards an ipsilateral portion of said sacrum bone, said corridor extending substantially along a cephalad-caudad direction of said target sacro-iliac joint, entering said ilium bone immediately lateral to said sacro-iliac joint, extending medially across said sacro-iliac joint or a posterior sacro-iliac ligament positioned posterior to said sacro-iliac joint, and extending into a lateral aspect of said sacrum bone;
• and
• advancing said implant into said formed corridor, said implant when fully advanced being positioned such that a distal end thereof is cephalad to a proximal end thereof.

A method of immobilizing of a target sacro-iliac joint positioned between an adjacent sacrum bone and ilium bone, comprising:

• accessing a region in proximity to an inferior segment of said target sacro-iliac joint;
• forming a corridor from said accessed region towards an ipsilateral portion of said ilium bone, said corridor extending in a cephalad-caudad direction and substantially along a direction of said target sacro-iliac joint, said corridor entering a posterior surface of said sacrum bone medial to said target sacro-iliac joint, extending laterally across said sacro-iliac joint or a posterior sacro-iliac ligament positioned posterior to said sacro-iliac joint, and entering a medial aspect of said ilium bone;
• and
• advancing a bone anchor at least partially along said formed corridor;
• wherein, when fully advanced, said bone anchor being positioned with a distal end in proximity to a cephalad end of said target sacro-iliac joint.

A method of substantially immobilizing a target sacro-iliac joint positioned between an adjacent sacrum bone and ilium bone, comprising:

• accessing a region in proximity to an inferior segment of said target sacro-iliac joint;
• forming a corridor from said accessed inferior segment and towards a superior end of said target sacro-iliac joint, said corridor being substantially aligned to extend along a cephalad-caudad direction of a longitudinal axis of said target sacro-iliac joint;
• creating a cavity spanning at least one of a segment of said target sacro-iliac joint, or a segment of a posterior sacro-iliac ligament positioned posterior to said target sacro-iliac joint, said cavity extending at least partially along said formed corridor;
• and
• positioning a bone forming material within said created cavity, said bone forming material being configured to form a bone fusion mass between said adjacent sacrum and said ilium bone.