The International Journal of Spine Surgery published a new study examining SI-Bone's iFuse Implant System.
The study, titled "Surgical Revision after Sacroiliac Joint Fixation or Fusion," reviewed medical records and patient follow-up for SI joint fusion performed from 2003 to 2015. The study's findings include:
1. The four-year cumulative revision rate was 5.7 percent for SI joint fusion patients with iFuse, compared with 30.8 percent among the patients who underwent SI joint screw fixation.
2. The cumulative probability of revision in the screw group was 79.8 percent at the longest follow-up point. There weren't any other predictors of revision than the device used.
3. The iFuse device received FDA clearance in November 2008 and the CE mark in November 2010. The device is a minimally invasive procedure to alleviate SI joint dysfunction.
4. Timothy Holt, MD, of Montgomery (Ala.) Spine Center, conducted the study. He began using iFuse in early 2012 after noticing a smaller portion of his patients who received iFuse returned to the clinic with SI joint pain.
"Surgical revision was required in a large portion of the patients who underwent screw-based fixation," he reported. "In contrast, the surgical revision rate with iFuse was low, similar to that reported in the literature."