SAN JOSE, Calif., March 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — SI-BONE, Inc., a medical device company that pioneered minimally invasive surgical (MIS) fusion for certain disorders of the sacroiliac (SI) joint with the iFuse Implant System, announced that the United States Patent and Trademark office has granted a new patent titled Systems and Methods for the Fusion of the Sacral-Iliac Joint (8,986,348).
SI-BONE’s newest patent describes placing an “elongated implant structure having a longitudinal axis and a rectilinear cross section transverse to the longitudinal axis and including an exterior surface region treated to provide bony in-growth or through-growth along the implant structure… with an axially applied, non-rotational force.” The patent also describes a “fusion cage structure” and an insertion path that is “created in a non-invasive manner without prior removal of cartilage.” In addition, the patent describes “inserting the bone fixation implant through the postero-lateral insertion path” and also includes an implant “defined by at least one apex.” With the addition of this latest patent, the company now has 16 issued US patents with another allowed and 26 pending. Outside of the US, SI-BONE has one granted patent and 44 pending.
“This broad patent adds to SI-BONE’s extensive patent portfolio describing fusion methods that can be used to develop products for the SI joint and other areas of the body. This patent also describes an SI joint insertion path that is somewhat different than SI-BONE’s current technique,” said Scott Yerby, PhD, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. 
Clinical publications have identified the SI joint as a pain generator in 15% to 30% of low back pain patients.1-4 In addition, the prevalence of SI joint pain in post-lumbar fusion, so called “failed back surgery” patients, has been shown to be up to 43%.5 Of these patients, some may have degenerative sacroiliitis or SI joint disruptions. Initial treatment options for patients with SI joint disorders typically involve non-surgical management and, when non-surgical management of the SI joint fails, surgical options such as the iFuse procedure may be considered.