SI-BONE wins Gold 2014 International MarCom Award for SI Joint Patient Community website

SI-BONE, Inc., a medical device company that pioneered the use of the iFuse Implant System^®, a minimally invasive surgical (MIS) device indicated for fusion for certain disorders of the sacroiliac (SI) joint, won the Gold 2014 International MarCom Award for its SI Joint Patient Community website (SiJPC.org) and an Honorable Mention for the SI Buddy^SM Patient Networking Program. Through the SI Joint Patient Community website, the SI-Buddy program connects patients who are considering the iFuse surgery with patients who have had a previous successful iFuse procedure.

The MarCom Award is presented by the Association of Marketing and Communications Professionals to companies who have exemplified high standards of excellence and serve as benchmarks for the industry. There were more than 6,500 entries from throughout the United States, Canada and 15 other countries in the 2014 competition. The SI Joint Patient Community website and SI Buddy Program were entered under the Manufacturers and Advocacy Group categories.

"Helping patients is the core of everything we do at SI-BONE and we are delighted our team's initiatives to assist these patients have been recognized," said Jeffrey Dunn, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Patients with SI joint dysfunction due to sacroiliac joint disruptions and degenerative sacroiliitis often experience debilitating pain when non-operative care is unsuccessful according to a study that was presented last month at the North American Spine Society and it is very rewarding to be involved in helping these people."

SI-BONE, Inc. believes that patients are a vital resource and that their stories and experiences should be shared. Since 2008, the company's focus has been to help patients with some conditions of one of the most under-served, under-diagnosed, and under-treated areas of the musculoskeletal system: the sacroiliac (SI) joint. The SI Joint Patient Community Website was specifically designed with these patients in mind and provides a host of resources such as information relating to patient seminars, clinical studies and the SI Buddy Program. SI Buddy participants are volunteers who have previously undergone a successful iFuse surgery and are eager to share their stories with others considering the iFuse procedure.

The SI Buddy^SM program is reserved for patients who have been diagnosed by an iFuse trained surgeon and recommended for the iFuse procedure. SI Buddy volunteers have been successfully treated with the iFuse Implant System^®. They are not medical professionals and their statements should not be interpreted as medical advice.

Clinical publications have identified the SI joint as a pain generator in up to 30% of low back pain patients. In addition, the prevalence of SI joint pain in post-lumbar fusion, so called "failed back surgery" patients, has been shown to be 43%. Initial treatment options for patients with SI joint disorders typically involve non-surgical management and, when non-surgical treatment of the SI joint fails, surgical treatments such as the iFuse procedure may provide an option for some patients.

SI-BONE, Inc. received original 510(k) clearance in November 2008 from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market its iFuse Implant System. The CE mark for European commercialization was obtained in November 2010.

The iFuse Implant System is a minimally invasive surgical option that uses titanium implants coated with a porous, titanium plasma spray (TPS) that acts as an interference surface, designed to help decrease implant motion, provide immediate fixation and allow for biological fixation to support long term fusion. The iFuse System is intended for sacroiliac joint fusion for conditions including SI joint dysfunction that is a direct result of SI joint disruptions and degenerative sacroiliitis. As with all surgical procedures and permanent implants, there are risks and considerations associated with surgery and use of the iFuse Implant. Physicians should refer to the product labeling for a discussion of these risks and patients should talk with their doctors about these risks before deciding if the iFuse Implant is right for them.

SOURCE SI-BONE, Inc.