SI-BONE, Inc. Announces Appointment of Fidelity Health Insurance Services, LLC’s Martin Watson to Board of Directors

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- 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, announced that Martin Watson has joined the company's board of directors effective January 1, 2015. Mr. Watson is currently a Managing Director for Fidelity Health Insurance Services, LLC. Prior to Fidelity, Mr. Watson was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer at HealthMine (formerly known as SeeChange Health, LLC), a population health management company that provides consumer health engagement solutions to large employers and health insurance companies. He has also served in various executive roles at UnitedHealthcare and Aetna.

"We are happy to welcome Martin to our board of directors. Martin's extensive experience working with large and small commercial health plans will provide significant insight and guidance for us as we continue to expand our portfolio of clinical evidence to support further adoption of iFuse among commercial health plans throughout the U.S.," said Jeffrey Dunn, President and CEO of SI-BONE.

"For the past several years, I have been impressed with SI-BONE's relentless focus on building clinical evidence and providing leadership through their educational efforts and I am looking forward to working with Jeff Dunn and the SI-BONE team to accelerate the adoption of this foundational approach to helping patients," said Mr. Watson.

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.

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. There are potential risks associated with the iFuse Implant System. It may not be appropriate for all patients and all patients may not benefit. For information about the risks, visit: www.si-bone.com/risks.

Keywords for this news article include: Surgery, SI-BONE Inc., Bone Research, Medical Devices, Health Insurance.

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