Our Team was Honored to Support You in 2020!
Letter from SI-BONE President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Jeffrey Dunn
Happy Holidays!
Every day our team goes to work with a singular focus: working to help solve clinical challenges of the sacropelvic anatomy. During 2020, over 1,400 surgeons utilized iFuse in over 7,000 cases. In total, well over 50,000 patients have now been treated with iFuse worldwide. On behalf of our almost 300 employees, I want to thank you for trusting SI-BONE.
I would like to share some of the initiatives and investments we are making to be an even better supplier and support organization:
- Clinical Trials: There are now over 85 peer-reviewed clinical papers published on iFuse (www.si-bone.com/results). We have one major clinical trial currently underway, called SILVIA which is tracking the clinical benefits of using our iFuse Bedrock™ technique in adult deformity patients. We have plans mid next year to start another major clinical trial utilizing a new product that we will introduce in Q3, 2021.
- Medical Education and the new SI-BONE SImulator™: Three years ago, we embarked on a significant investment project to build a training simulator. Multiple SI-BONE SImulators are now being used in the field to familiarize surgeons with the use of iFuse in multiple procedural approaches and in three different anatomical configurations. We plan to have a total of 25 of these units in the field for your use by the end of 2021. This radiation-free, on-demand, in-office training technology uses our standard instruments, allows for training in a few hours in the convenience of your office or home, and does not require cadavers, fluoroscopy, or the need for out-of-office travel like conventional procedure training. The system allows for constant feedback through virtual CTs on-demand and training on injections, iFuse SI joint fusion, and iFuse Bedrock, all with male, female, and dysmorphic sacra. It can be helpful if someone wants to train for the first time or simply as a refresher on the anatomy or one of the procedures. Some surgeons have said to us that it is the most advanced training system they have ever seen.
- New Products: You will see two new major product lines launched in 2021 that we think will improve patient care and we hope that they will delight you.
- Payor Coverage and Support: Today there are 115 payors which cover iFuse minimally invasive SI joint fusion, and we will continue to advocate for additional coverage in 2021 from the handful of payors which don’t yet cover. Our team of health insurance experts in our Patient Insurance Coverage Support (PICS) Program supported more than 450 patients to obtain insurance approval for iFuse this year, and is standing by to support you, your office, and your patients.
- Awareness: We have begun a pilot TV advertising program in selected cities across the United States to help patients become aware there is a surgical treatment available for sacroiliac joint dysfunction. We are hopeful that more patients will seek the clinically proven, long-term benefits of the iFuse procedure.
Happy holidays and good health to you and your family and friends!
Best regards,
Jeff Dunn