Minimally Invasive Sacroiliac Joint Surgery

SI-BONE Announces US, EU Tradeshow Exhibit Schedule for 2011

Focus on Spine Surgery, Pain Management and Physical Therapy

San Jose, California, December 21, 2010 / PRNewswire / -- SI-BONE, Inc. (San Jose, California), a medical device company that is pioneering the use of a minimally invasive surgical (MIS) device to treat the sacroiliac (SI) joint announced today it’s tradeshow exhibition schedule for 2011 for both the US and the EU.

“The SI joint can be a cause of low back problems,” according to Steven R. Garfin, MD. “Research studies are under way to ascertain the role of SI joint diagnostics and therapeutics in the treatment of low back problems,” added Frank M. Phillips, MD.

SI-BONE will be exhibiting at the Annual London Imperial Spine Course from March 9-11, in London, UK, at the World Society for Endoscopic Navigated and Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (WENMISS) from May 5-7, in Bonn, Germany, at the 8th Annual Innovative Techniques in Spine Surgery from June 23-25, in Los Cabos, Mexico, at the 19th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Spine Interventional Society (ISIS) from August 10-13, in Chicago, IL, at Eurospine 2011 from October 19-21, in Milan, Italy, at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Society of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS) from October 21-23, in Las Vegas, NV, at the 25th Annual Meeting of the North American Spine Society (NASS) from November 1-5 in Chicago, IL, at the 2011 Annual Assembly of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) from November 17-20, in Orlando, FL.

In addition, the Company reported that an abstract has been accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgery and Congress of Neurological Surgery Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves from March 9-11, in Phoenix, AZ (Mark Reiley, MD, presenting). An abstract submitted to the 7th Evidence & Technology Spine Summit from February 2-5, in Park City, UT (Frank Phillips, MD, lead author) has also been accepted and the Company is also planning on attending the 17th Annual Conference of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists from October 26-30, in Anaheim, CA.

Commenting on the meeting schedule for 2011, Jeff Dunn, President and CEO, said, "Exhibiting at key spine and pain meetings significantly boosts SI-BONE’s ability to communicate the key message that appropriate diagnosis of low back complaints must include the SI joint. Additionally, associating with minimally invasive spine surgical societies provides us with a unique opportunity to teach many new spine surgeons about the iFuse Implant System™ for SI joint fixation/fusion.”

SI-BONE received 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 provides immediate post-operative fixation, accomplishing the goal of traditional open SI joint fusion through an MIS approach. Clinical publications have identified the SI joint as a pain generator for up to 22 percent of low back pain patients and that up to 75 percent of post-lumbar fusion patients develop SI joint degeneration within five years of surgery. These represent significant unmet clinical needs where iFuse may provide an MIS option.

In response to increasing awareness of SI joint disruption and dysfunction as debilitating symptom generators, SI-BONE, Inc. developed an innovative, patented, intramedullary implant to treat the SI joint. The company is also embarking on a post-market multicenter study to determine its effect over time on SI joint pathology and on symptoms associated with SI joint problems.

The iFuse Implant System is a commercially available device in the United States intended for fracture fixation of large bones and large bone fragments of the pelvis for conditions including sacroiliac joint disruptions and degenerative sacroiliitis. The iFuse procedure uses a minimal incision for delivery and implantation of small, titanium implants. The implants are coated with a porous plasma spray that acts as an interference surface, designed to help decrease implant motion. These implants have substantial thickness and sophisticated metallurgy and are able to produce a much stronger construct than that of conventional pins or screws used to surgically fix boney structures. This implant technology from SI-BONE has been previously used successfully in well over 1,000 cases of dysfunctional foot joints.

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About SI-BONE, Inc.
SI-BONE, Inc. (San Jose, California) is a leading spinal medical device company dedicated to the development of tools and products for diagnosing and treating patients with low back issues related to sacroiliac (SI) joint pathology. The company has developed, and is manufacturing and marketing, less invasive approaches using implants for the treatment of SI Joint pathology. SI-BONE has an experienced management team with extensive experience in orthopedic and spine medical devices.