SAIL Fusion’s BowTie Sacroiliac Fusion System Implanted in First Patients

SAIL Fusion has conducted the first implants of its BowTie SI Fusion System. The surgeries occurred earlier this month and were conducted by Dr. Peter Whang, associate professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation at Yale University School of Medicine, and Dr. Abdufarrukh Karimov, head of the Division of Neurosurgery Spine and Chairman of the Neurological Surgery Program at the Republican Medical Center of Neurology and Stroke, as part of a pilot study conducted at Akfa Medline in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

“It was very exciting for everyone at SAIL and everyone involved in developing and backing our BowTie system. It is the culmination of decades of research into joint arthrodesis and years of hard work in response to countless surgeons telling us that they wanted a better solution to SI fusion,” SAIL Fusion President/CEO David Jansen said. “We look forward to completing our pilot study and launching the product in the United States in the near future.”

BowTie is the first SI fusion system to be based on long-standing, proven joint fusion principles established by the AO foundation. The technology and surgical technique minimize tissue disruption, thoroughly prepare the joint, and provide rigid fixation to enable true and robust arthrodesis, according to SAIL Fusion. The device features a bowtie shape and integrated iliac and sacral transfixing screws to maximize rigidity, as well as a proprietary porous structure and roughened surface technology to help promote osteointegration.
 
“The recipe for effectively fusing two bones together has been around for quite a long time,” Whang remarked. “It is surprising to me that nobody has taken the logical step of applying AO principles to fusing the SI joint until now. I was impressed that we were able to decorticate virtually the entire auricular joint from the posterior approach and by how rigidly we were able to lock the joint down. I fully expect these patients to do extremely well.”
 
“The BowTie System allowed me to fully access the joint and create an ideal environment for fusion. The surgical technique and instrument set are very intuitive and streamlined,” Karimov added. 
 
SAIL Fusion is advancing the treatment of sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction. The company is reportedly the first to apply proven joint fusion principles established by the AO foundation to the SI joint. SAIL’s proprietary BowTie technology and surgical technique minimize tissue disruption, thoroughly prepare the joint, and provide rigid fixation to enable true and robust SI joint fusion. The company is currently seeking U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance for its BowTie technology and plans to launch the system in the United States in the near future.