Differentiating Buttock Pain and Sacroiliac Joint Disorders

Original Editors - Jessie Tourwe

Top Contributors - Mariam Hashem, Kim Jackson, Tarina van der Stockt, Lucinda hampton, Ewa Jaraczewska and Jess Bell 

Where is the problem?

Gluteal or Buttock pain can be triggered by many causes such as[1]:

  • Radicular pain from Lumbar spine origin
  • Sciatic nerve entrapement
  • Obturator internus/gemellus syndrome
  • Piriformis Syndrome
  • Quadratus femoris/ischiofemoral pathology
  • Problems at the hamstrings
  • Glutealmuscles disorders

The complicated anatomy of the SIJ, the Lumbar spine and the buttock area makes the differential diagnosis of pain and dysfunction a challenge. MRI findings are not consistent with the LBP history and symptoms[2].

  1. Carro LP, Hernando MF, Cerezal L, Navarro IS, Fernandez AA, Castillo AO. Deep gluteal space problems: piriformis syndrome, ischiofemoral impingement and sciatic nerve release. Muscles, ligaments and tendons journal. 2016 Jul;6(3):384.
  2. Tonosu J, Oka H, Higashikawa A, Okazaki H, Tanaka S, Matsudaira K. The associations between magnetic resonance imaging findings and low back pain: A 10-year longitudinal analysis. PLoS One. 2017 Nov 15;12(11):e0188057.